Stay Night: Grand Order
by Link The Hero of Light
Summary: Thirteen years have passed since the end of the Holy Grail Wars in Fuyuki. A chance meeting with an old man who loves mischief throws Shirou Emiya back into the fires of a Holy Grail War. Yet this Grail War is unlike any other, for this is a battle for the future of humanity. The board is set.
1. Thirteen Years Later

**Disclaimer: All rights go to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.**

 ** _All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible._**

– **_T.E. Lawrence._**

" _Saber is going to disappear, no matter who wins this fight. Then she'll vanish from this world and go back to the place in history where she belongs. I…I can't say I have no regrets. Losing Saber…losing the one I promised to protect, the one whose happiness I wished for. I don't know yet how hard it will be. I can still feel her presence. I'm not yet ready to lose her._

 _Even if I knew many days ago. Even if I knew from the beginning there would be a parting at the end. There where so many memories. Nights when we walked together and times we fought together. I selfishly tried hard in the beginning, thinking that I couldn't let a girl fight. She trained me in the dojo. I slept in the shed because I was uncomfortable with a girl in the next room. We had lunch together. Saber liked the bath, was satisfied when the food was good, liked the clothes Tohsaka gave her and talked with Fuji-nee._

 _She pushed herself, took all the burdens on her shoulders and finally collapsed – and we shared our warmth in the ruin. …I've been crazy since then. I couldn't think of anything but Saber and after my reasons for fighting changed, I realized I love Saber. How can I lose someone like this?"_

However, we continued onward. Not saying anything.

" _If I don't want to say goodbye, I can just talk to her about meaningless things. Like going to town again after we go home. Or what she wants for breakfast tomorrow morning. Such meaningless things. …But I can't even talk about such things. If I talk, that'll be our final conversation. A clear end. Neither of us can offer a clear farewell."_

We reach the mountain gate. This is the final choice. "Saber." She is the same always. A tense stare with a composed expression.

All kinds of temptations attack me. Thoughts of turning back. Those thoughts rise in my throat.

But I stop it.

"Let's go. This will be our last battle." I declare that as a Master just as I always have. Saber nods silently. Her eyes are as strong–willed as always. So I won't have any regrets. As she believes in me. I too will believe my choice is correct.

We head into battle with no return. I couldn't say anything and I couldn't tell her what I really wanted to tell her. But I want to believe that this silence will be able to tell her my feelings.

Red light fills the mountaintop. The source seems to be coming from behind the temple. The blowing wind is getting stronger and the red phosphorescence scatters on the wind and the grounds is too bright for nighttime. Stagnant air filled with the presence of death. This is…

Like the fire back then.

But it isn't like that. Within all this red light, something is about to emerge. A black darkness oozing in the bright red. If this clearing is like a clear lake, that mud is like an oil spill. Mud that spreads, taints the ground, and doesn't kill anything it devours. It's like a visible curse. I can sense that this mud only reacts to the human mind and only swallows human bodies.

Our separate, final battles have begun.

We are both pushed to our limits.

We are both at the verge of defeat.

A miracle occurs.

But there is no such thing as a free miracle.

…And she appears. She walks straight towards me, her figure unchanged since the first time I saw her. She stops close enough that I could reach out to her. There are no words to confirm her safety or to congratulate her of the victory.

This was something already decided. So there is only one thing left to do.

"I will destroy the Holy Grail. That is my role." So saying, she begins to walk. The strong winds do not affect her as she approaches it step by step.

She must be in range. She quietly readies her sword and looks at the black "void."

I clench my fists hard, bite my lip, stifle the words about to come out of my mouth.

"Master, please give me the order. I cannot destroy it without your order."

Saber will disappear once the Holy Grail is destroyed. No, as she will destroy the Holy Grail, she will never become a Servant. Saber became a servant because she sought the Holy Grail. Destroying the Holy Grail out of her own will means destroying her contract as well. If she destroys the Holy Grail…she will end her life as the King.

"Shirou. I want to hear you say it." Saber's voice. Every time I hear it, I want to scream.

To tell her not to go.

I want to scream for her to stay here.

But that's something I should not do for the sake of my life.

" _I…I love you, Saber."_ I burn her figure into my memory _. "I want to make you the happiest you can be. I want to be with you forever…but…if I really love you, then the truth is…I can't do that. The Saber I fell in love with is someone who keeps fighting, regardless of how wounded she may be. And so, her pride is the one thing I must never harm."_

 _She was born as a King and lived as a King. That will not change no matter what. From the time she swore to carry the sword, the girl became a king and nothing else. That is her pride. She ran through the battles so that in her final moments she would be able to believe her path was the right one._

 _The dreams of the girl Artoria. Even after she learned it would be unrewarded, she still clasped the sword and defended the oath of the king. I couldn't do anything to dishonor that pride. The pride that I considered to be beautiful._

"Saber, fulfill your duty." I say so with a flood of emotions.

An overflowing light.

The void in the sky is cut in half by the light and disappears without a trace.

There's nothing left. The destroyed mountain is now a flat field. Dawn is in the distance. The horizon is shining in gleaming gold.

My left hand hurts.

My last Command Spell disappears.

That…makes me accept that the curtains have been drawn.

A calm wind started to blow.

"So, everything is over?" Saber asked. Her armor had vanished, her golden hair free and floating in the wind.

"Yeah, this is it. There is nothing left." I replied. After so much fighting, it was over. A span of two weeks that I would never forget.

"As your sword, I have slain your enemies and protected you at every turn. I am glad I was able to carry out that oath." Saber was still faced away from me.

"You did well, Saber." I finished.

"There is one last thing I feel I must tell you." Saber's body wavers.

"What?" I reply with my best bluff.

She is looking right at me and in a voice without regret,

"Shirou, I love you."

Says those words.

The rising sun blinded me. When I looked back, Saber had vanished as she appeared.

Leaving no trace.

I smiled to myself. "Of course, that's just like you." I said aloud. I stared at the horizon, wishing to never forget and for it to never fade away. Keeping everything I lost close to my heart. A distant land glowing in sunlight. Resembling the golden fields she ran through.

I had no regrets. I would always remember Saber with a smile. Some things may change, but there where things that did not change.

I dreamed of a forest. Leaves rustled in the wind.

"King Arthur, I'll go and fetch the troops immediately, just rest for now." The knight's armor was covered by a black shouldered, white cape. His hair was long and white.

"Bedivere…" Saber's voice was almost as soft as the wind.

Bedivere started. "You regained consciousness, sire?"

"I was just dreaming for a moment." Saber lay in the arms of a tree as if preparing to sleep.

"Dreaming, sire?" Bedivere asked.

"Yes, I rarely have dreams, it was an invaluable experience." Saber softly smiled to herself.

"In that case, please rest without worry sire. I will gather the troops." Bedivere soothed.

Saber gasped as if coming to a sudden realization.

"Your Highness? Have I been rude?" Bedivere asked.

"I did not know a dream could be seen after one awakens. Is it possible to continue the same dream?" Saber asked.

"Yes, I have done it myself many times, sire. You just have to want it enough." Bedivere answered.

"I see. You are a person of great knowledge." Saber's soft smile never wavered.

"Listen to me, Bedivere. You must take my sword." Bedivere let out a soft gasp, but didn't protest. "Now, listen closely. I want you to ride through this forest and over that blood-soaked hill, beyond that you will find a deep lake. I want you to throw my sword into that lake. Go on, Bedivere."

The knight hesitates returning the sword.

The lake was certainly there.

But he just could not throw the sword in it.

If he throws the sword in, the king will disappear. The knight is unable to throw the sword into the lake from his unwillingness to part with the king. And the knight turns around and returns to the king.

As the knight lies, the King repeats to the knight. "To follow his command."

To disobey the king's command is a great sin for a knight.

But still, he disobeyed the king's order twice.

As the knight figures out he cannot change the king's decision, he throws the sword into the lake on the third visit.

The holy sword returns to the lake.

A white hand appearing from the water receives the sword and after going through the sky three times, the holy sword vanishes from this world.

And the knight finally accepts it.

The king's end.

"I have given your sword back to the Lady of the Lake, Your Majesty." Bedivere said.

"Thank you, you should be proud of what you've done Bedivere. You preformed an order for your king." Saber was silent.

"Bedivere…" Saber was dying.

"Yes, sire?" Bedivere asked.

"I'm afraid my slumber this time will be…a very long one." Saber closed her eyes, as if going to sleep. I could hear the sounds of the forest, the wind sighed peacefully, birds chirped. The sunlight fell on Saber and she did not stir. In her last moments, she able to obtain the peace she was never able to obtain.

"Are you dreaming now, King Arthur? Are you still dreaming the same dream?" Bedivere asked softly. The expression on her face was what I wished for. A peaceful sleep.

 **Thirteen years later. 2017**

The streets of London where always busy and crowded with tourists around this time of day. _"Why did the Mage's Association have to build the main entrances underneath the London Museum of all places?"_ A few trips to this city had allowed me to learn the hard way that the more accomplished in the Clock Tower deemed a fully-grown magus who lacked the knowledge of even the five elements to be a laughingstock.

The fakers, who specialized in projection magecraft, were rarely recognized in the hierarchy of the Clock Tower. The best they could hope for was odd jobs as specialists to the more prominent families of magi. If the Clock Tower ever welcomed me it would be as a test subject than a full mage. There would be some who would love nothing more than to extract some…"biological samples" from a man who had once been merged with Avalon.

However, my projection was not like other projections. No raw materials to be gathered beforehand, no incantation that would take a few minutes and no magic circle. The projection was flawed, a fake was still a fake. Which was all the more reason why I practiced as often as I could. It stepped dangerously close to First Magic, creating something from nothing. Speaking of projection, I could maintain a ten-minute reality marble.

Unlimited Blade Works. A wasteland filled with weapons under a twilight sky. I had learned that ability through projecting blades, fighting with them, forging them with magical energy. The reality marble itself was another contradiction: no penalties from the World.

My skills were a one-way ticket to a Sealing Designation, if they were found out. So, I took odd jobs, traveling and fighting. My skills with a sword had grown. Archer's swordplay was the base of my abilities. Somewhere along the way, the ideal of becoming a hero now included achieving Avalon, something that was higher than just the throne of heroes. It was like reaching for the distant sky.

The only possession I had with me was a single suitcase. Inside lay changes of clothes, books, a laptop and a stuffed lion. A smile came to my face remembering the first date I had with Saber, finding her admitting, in not so many words, that it was cute.

My time outdoors and projecting had tanned my skin, so I looked like a miniature Archer. I still had my red hair, so I looked Scottish. I looked outside at the passing slopes of the mountain. I thought back to the last ten years and what had happened to my small family.

Rin and Waver Velvet dismantling the Holy Grail War system in Fuyuki. I didn't even know how they had managed to pull it off. Rin had said she didn't want to take any chances if I was around at the time.

Taiga, Sakura, Rin and Illya.

The close relationship I had with Sakura had all but disappeared. I was committed to a single-minded faithfulness to Saber, even though we were separated by the rules of space, time and death. I couldn't give Sakura what she wanted. Last I heard, she had graduated. Our relationship had been distant and awkward ever since.

Taiga's communication of text messages had dwindled down to almost nothing. Traveling so often, a distance grew and the jobs of the Mage's Association had kept me traveling or without a way to contact anybody for weeks at a time.

Illya had passed away a few years ago. She was glad that the Holy Grail Wars had been dismantled. The only thing she regretted was that she couldn't see past her grandfather's manipulations and be a proper little sister/big sister to me. Even during her last days she was always full of life and was always cheerful. Taiga had broken down in tears and said that it was much too soon for Illya to pass away at such a young age.

Rin was officially part of the Mage's Association and sometimes lent her notes and books to me. In return, I was her unofficial apprentice. As a freelancer and an unofficial apprentice of Rin, I was offered Clock Tower "education" and could come and go as I pleased until I completed my generals, a three to four year course. After that, I was done with the Clock Tower...until Waver Velvet called me with an offer that would be "mutually beneficial" to us both considering loose ends of the Holy Grail Wars. The knowledge of the Grail War had spread and it's corruption didn't bother the more ambitious mages.

Fake Holy Grail Wars were a major pain to deal with and to cover up. More than likely, the whole thing exploded in their faces, killing the magus's. Ugh. A total mess to deal with and a lot of paperwork to go through.

This was the result. The long path I had ahead of me to be with Saber. I had just finished filing my report about the last disaster, a False Holy Grail War in a South American jungle that caused a minor dip in the magical energy of the leyline, resulting in an earthquake that measured a five on the Richter scale. At least it wasn't in a major city. I took one of the many streets of London heading from the Clock Tower to Rin's apartment. I always changed my route to avoid being followed and other mages. I also never talked to another Mage unless spoken to and avoided everyone expect Rin. Rin excelled at the poltics and intrigue part of the Clock Tower.

I came to screeching stop as I entered one of the many side entrances that the Association set up under London. All where well hidden, yet it seemed that I had drawn the short straw. All of the workshops where underground, making getting from class to class seem like a maze. Yet there where days when rooms moved around according to the faculty head and one of the unspoken rules of the Clock Tower.

One of those unspoken rules and source of headache was standing in the middle of the passage, mages parting like the Red Sea around him. Zelretch.

"I'm bored." Zelrecth's voice was like an old grandfather's, yet still strong and youthful. The Wizard Marshall had said one of the most dreaded sentences in the Clock Tower.

The effect was immediate. Every mage went stock still. You could hear a pin drop.

"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ZELRECTH IS BORED!" A female magus screamed. Everyone scrambled for the nearest door. And of course, I'm shoved out of the way and the mass exodus leaves me right in Zelrecth's line of sight.

"You there." The Wizard Marshall proclaims my doom. "Oh, don't make that kind of face. You have a chance to save a world, after all."

I twitched. The moment I heard the words "save" and "world" combined, I knew that I would have a tough time deciding against whatever crazy idea the Wizard Marshall had cooked up. "What exactly do I get out of this?" I asked bluntly. I was, at my core, someone who wanted to save others.

"Well, if you are able to bargain like a magus, maybe you aren't completely hopeless." Zelrecth laughed. "Just a few surprises for you, a few tweaks of my own here and there, adventure, romance, all that hero stuff you read in adventure books."

Zelrecth looked at his wristwatch. I had heard that it let him see into different timelines or measured their operation. "Oh my, time really does fly by! This world I'm so interested in is approaching it's terminal point. Happy travels!"

Without any warning, I'm blasted by a swirl of magic. I feel my feet leave the ground. I mentally curse Zelrecth as I'm sent through what I assume to be space and land hard on a flat surface.

I groan as I feel something wet touch my cheek. I open my eyes.

"Fou?" A small fluffy animal is sitting comfortably on my chest. It was rather like a large squirrel crossed with a rabbit. It's vest rather reminded me of Merlin's clothes from Saber's past.

"Senpai? Are you awake?" A soft timid voice asked. I could almost mistake it for Sakura's. I quickly sat up to find the concerned face of a girl peering down at me. She had short light purple hair and violet eyes hidden behind a pair of black rimmed glasses. She wore a red tie that was at odds with her white uniform. she looked no older than seventeen, maybe sixteen.

The hallway gave me a high tech vibe from how clean it was.

"Fou!" The fluffy familiar chirps.

"My name is Shirou." I extended a hand as I stand up. "What's yours?"

The girl looks down sadly. "Maybe I'm not important enough for you to know my name? No, I do have a name, a proper name. But I never really had the chance to use it. I'm afraid I don't leave a good first impression…"

" _A homunculus?"_ Was my first thought.

"Fou! Kyuu! Kyao!" The fluffy familiar at my feet draws our attention.

"I completely forgot. I still haven't introduced you yet, have I Fou?" The girl turned to me. "This squirrel-like creature is Fou. He's a Privileged Life-Form allowed to freely walk around Chaldea. I was looking for him and that's how I found you asleep on the floor, Senpai. Do you usually sleep on hard surfaces?" The girl asks.

"Normally, I sleep on a futon." There was a lot I needed to learn. As far as I knew, this place was called Chaldea.

"Fou. Mmku, Fou!" Fou ran off down the hall.

"He does that sometimes, just walks around." The girl continues. "Normally he doesn't go near anyone but me, but he seems to like you, Senpai." She smiles. "Congratulations, you are now the second Caretaker of Fou in Chaldea."

"Ah, there you are Mash." A new voice said. The man was dressed in a green business suit and his brown hair was long, reaching his shoulders. Something about him made my skin crawl, a sense of wrongness. "That won't do, you know, wandering about without permission…oh, someone's already with you? I'm Leff, one of the technicians employed here. And your name is?"

"Shirou." I reply.

Leff smiles. "Welcome to Chaldea. Forty-eight magus's, each talented in their own way. Somehow, we were able to gather all of the candidates. This year, 2017, all possible candidates capable of Spiritron Drives were brought to Chaldea."

 _"So far its the same year as mine."_

Lev continues."Feel free to ask Mash or me if you have any questions. Come to think of it, what where you talking about with him, Mash? That's not like you. Did you know each other before?"

Mash shakes her head. "No, I'd never met Senpai before. I found him asleep on the floor."

"Sleeping? Oh, I see. first time in the simulation can do that to you. It's not uncommon for the simulation to cause sleepwalking-like side effects." Leff looked at his watch. "The Director's orientation is about to start. You should hurry over."

I nod. "Don't want to be late." _Magi_ _n_ _oble families where always picky about being late._

"The Director is giving an orientation in the Central Command room in five minutes." Leff explained.

"Doctor Leff, do you think I'll be allowed to sit in on the orientation, too?" The girl, Mash, I assumed, asked.

"If you stand way back in a corner, I think she'll look the other way…why?" Leff asked.

"I just thought I should show Shirou the way. It's easy to get lost in here."

Leff nods. "We don't have time for the tour." He turns to me. "Any questions?"

"Why is Mash calling me Senpai?" I asked. I had grown used to it from Sakura, but hearing it from someone else…

Mash blushes a bit.

Leff smiles. "Don't worry about it. To her, every human your age is her Senpai. But it's unusual for her to call someone that. This might be the first time. Actually, I'm intrigued. Mash, why did you call him Senpai?" Leff asks.

"The reason? Shirou seems to be the most human like person I've met." _"Oh, the irony."_

"Which means?" Leff asks.

"I don't feel threatened. So there's no reason for me to be hostile." Mash explains.

"I think you two will get along just fine!" Leff laughs.

"If you like Senpai, Dr. Leff, the Director will probably hate Senpai." Mash says.

"Once you get used to her, she can be a sweet person." Leff reassures me.

The Command Room was dominated by a large glowing blue globe of the earth. I sit down, right in the only empty seat left, one in the front row.

"Well, that wasn't on time, but at least we are here now." Marie Animusphere was dressed in a yellow and black jacket with silver embroidery around the sleeves and front. Her long white hair was tied back at one part into a ponytail and wore heels to increase her height. "Welcome to Chaldea. I'm the Director, Olga Marie Animusphere. You have been selected…"

I began to drift off a bit… I still hadn't recovered from my little trip between worlds.

I'm slapped awake by the Director. I'm dragged out by Mash. "Are you all right, Senpai?"

"I fell asleep didn't I?" I ask.

Mash nods in response. "You've been left out of the first mission. I was taking you back to your room…" Mash is cut off by Fou racing down the hallway. He leaps into the air and lands on Mash's face. "Ummm…" I say intelligently.

"It's fine. This is normal. No trouble at all!" Mash says as Fou settles on her shoulder. "Fou likes to attack my face, slide around to my back and settle on my shoulder."

"So you are used to that?" I ask.

Mash nods. "It's his way of greeting people he really likes."

"Fou. Kuu, Fou! Fou!" Fou chitters.

"Apparently, Fou's embraced you as one of his own, Senpai." Mash translated. Though how she got that from the strange familiar, I didn't know. "But can a squirrel who sees humans as rivals exist in this world?"

"How does he see me as a rival?" I ask. Sure, I had to deal with a few familiars, but this one was sort of almost…normal, considering some Magi kept demons as familiars. Or the undead.

"Well, knowing Fou as I do, I'm sure he'll forget about it by tomorrow." Mash continues. "Actually, we've reached our destination. This is your room, Senpai." A set of sliding doors with a keypad is set into the whitish blue of the wall.

"Thanks for coming all this way." Mash sort of reminded me of a sheltered homunculus who was only just starting to step into the wider world.

"It's fine. If you ask me, Senpai, I wouldn't mind treating you to lunch." Mash smiles a bit. _"I hope she's not crushing on me. I had enough of that with Sakura."_

"Kyu…Kyu!" Fou jumped onto my shoulder.

"Fou says he'll look after you, Senpai. That sets my mind at ease." Mash translated Fou-speak for me. "Now then, I'm off. If we're lucky, I think we'll meet again." Mash leaves me with Fou on my shoulder. I take a breath and step into my room for the duration of my stay.

"Okay, I'm in here – Wait? Whaaaaaaat? Who are you?" Someone else is already here. That was almost always a clear sign of an impending attack. I shifted into a ready battle stance. "This is an empty room! It's where I slack off! Who gave you permission to come in?" That takes the edge off.

The man was clearly as startled as I was. His long, light pink hair was tied back and was wearing a doctor's uniform of the facility. "Let's start with the introductions, who are you?" I asked.

"Who am I? Isn't it obvious that I'm a healthy, diligent and hard-working doctor?" _"Jeez, someone's cranky."_

"My name is Shirou." I continue, ignoring his behavior.

The man untenses. "Well nice to meet you, Shirou. Didn't think I would run into someone like this, but let me introduce myself. Head of the Medical Department of Chaldea, Romani Archaman. For some reason, people just call me Dr. Roman. I don't know why, but it's easier to pronounce, so go ahead and call me Roman. Fact is, Roman has a nice ring to it, no? It sounds cool and vaguely sweet."

I accidently say something Rin would say. She rubbed off on me sometimes. "…Oh, so you're the fluffy type?"

"Fluffy? Oh, you mean my hair? I'm normally pretty busy so I just let it grow." _"Went right over his head."_ Roman's attention drifts to Fou on my shoulder. "Huh? Is that the mysterious creature I've heard so much about? Nice to meet you. Can you do tricks?"

Fou gave him the equivalent of "looking down on someone" look. "…Fou."

"He just gave me a really pitying look and completely ignored me… A – Anyway, I think I get what's going on. You just got here and managed to get on the Director's bad side, right?" I nod.

Roman grins. "Then you and I are alike. Just so you know, I got yelled at by her too. You know the Rayshift's experiment is about to start, right? The entire staff's been sent to help out. But since my job is to look after everyone's health, I had nothing to do. The machines are more accurate at reading the vitals of the mages who are in the Coffins. The Director said, "When you're here Romani, everyone slacks off!" Then she threw me out. So I've been sulking here and that's when you showed up. This is what they call a blessing in disguise right? Since we both have nowhere to go, why don't we spend some time and deepen our friendship!"

" _This guy…"_ I mentally sighed to myself. "It's not like I'm a loner.'

"Hey…you already have a friend even though you just got here…What a people person! I want in!" He seemed like a good guy, just a bit spineless.

Roman gave me the rundown on Chaldea and what it's many functions were…to Roman's experience. I admit I was pretty blown away. A summoning system not unlike the Holy Grail Wars, a time machine without the butterfly effect and a monitor of humanity one hundred years into the future? Mages really did like to play God. "So that's the structure of Chaldea. An underground workshop built on a snowy mountain six thousand meters above sea level…

Leff's voice came over a small intercom. "Romani, we're going to start the Rayshift soon. Could you come in case there's an emergency? The A team is in prefect condition, but B Team on down is less experienced and they are displaying some slight abnormalities. It probably comes from anxiety. The inside of that Coffin is like a cockpit."

Romani spoke into a small microphone hidden inside his jacket. "Hey Lev, I feel bad for them. Why don't I give them some anesthesia?"

"If you are in the infirmary, then you can get here in two minutes." Lev replies.

"But you are hiding and slacking in here…" I add.

"Whoa…Please don't mention that…it's gonna take five minutes from here now matter what… Well, I think they'll forgive me for being a little late. A Team has no issues anyway.' Roman reassures himself. "That guys name is Leff Lainur. He's the mage who created the Near Future Observation Lens, Sheba – A telescope used to observe that pseudo planet, Chaldeas. Sheba not only observes Chaldeas, but also serves as a surveillance system for most of this facility. Also the notes of the previous director led to the creation of the summoning/ unsummoning system, which is the foundation of the Rayshift tech. To actualize that theory, the Pseudo – Spiritron Calculation Engine basically a supercomputer was provided by the Atlas Academy. All these different talents have been gathered to carry out this mission. It's pointless for an ordinary doctor like me to be there, but if I'm summoned, I must go. Thanks for chatting with me, Shirou!"

I felt a headache coming on.

"When you get settled in, come by the infirmary. Next time I'll treat you to some yummy cake." Romani smiles. The lights flickered out. _"What?"_ I step out into the hall.

"The lights went out. Did something…" An explosion sends me tumbling to the floor.

"Emergency. Emergency." An electronic voice announces. "A fire has broken out in the Central Power Station and the Central Command Room. Central Area's containment wall will activate in ninety seconds. All staff must evacuate from Gate 2 at once. Repeat. The Central Power Station and the Central…"

Red lights come on filling the room with an eerie glow. "Was that an explosion just now? What on earth is happening?" Romani picks himself up off the floor. He ran to a computer console. "Monitor, show us the Command Room! Is everyone alright!?"

The screen flares to life. The room I was just in was burning. Parts of the ceiling had given way. "What's this – Shirou, evacuate right now. I'm going to the Command Room. The containment wall is about to close. Get yourself out before it is too late!" Roman orders.

I am already running for the Command Room. _"I don't run away if I can help somebody…even if I can only save one person."_

"Wait! Where are you going?! Wrong way, gate two is over there!" I ignore Roman's protests. "I mean, sure the more hands the better, but…"

The Command Room had been hit by an explosion. I could tell that much. The bomb had been put right where it would cause the most damage. "This was sabotage." Roman sums up the situation completely.

"Generator operation stopped. Power level critical." An electronic voice announced. "Switching to backup generator. Error. Manual Override. Containment wall closing in fifty seconds. Those who remain in Central Area, evacuate immediately –" Roman speaks over the voice. "I'm heading down to the power station. We can't let Chaldea's light go out."

"I'm staying here to look for survivors." I begin shifting through the rubble.

"Wha.." Roman's protest is cut off.

"System switching to the final phase of the Rayshift. Coordinates, AD 2004, January 30th. Fuyuki, Japan." My blood ran cold at that moment. "Laplace shifting protection established. Singularity's additional factor slot secured. Unsummon Program set. Please start final adjustments."

I come across Mash, pinned down by a slab of concrete. "Mash! I'll get you out!"

Mash shakes her head weakly. "It's all…right…. You can't…save…me. Run." Blood is pooling on the floor from her wounds. The room begins to crumble. The bright blue of Chaldeas has turned a burning red, appearing like a flaming red orange ruby. Another chill ran down my spine. Chaldeas looked way too much like Earth for it to be a coincidence.

"Warning all observation staff. Chaldea's state has changed. Now rewriting Sheba's near-future prediction data. Unable to detect the existence of mankind one hundred years in the near future on Earth. Unable to confirm human survivors. Unable to guarantee mankind's future."

Mash's hand grips mine.

"Central Area sealed. One hundred eighty seconds until internal containment procedure." The voice continues.

"We can't…get out." Mash says.

"We will get out of this." I lie to her. I didn't see a way out of this.

"Coffin Vitals: Masters. Baseline not reached." The voice says. "Rayshift requirement not met. Searching for qualifying Master…found. Canidate Number Thirty Nine, Shirou. Reset as Master. Unsummon Program Start. Spiritron Conversion, start.'

Golden particles rise up around us. "Rayshifting starting in three…two…one… all procedures clear. First Order, commencing operation." Our surroundings swirl into a black hole, tinged with blue edges.

 _My E rank luck…_

 **AN: Rewritten as of 2/12 because of a certain man in Season Two of the JP original.**

 **Review!**


	2. Things That Are Lost

**AN: I would like to give credit to Woona the Cat and GhostXavier for their writing and hard work. Juggling so many characters is the mark of a great writer. I can see why it takes a month or two to update.**

I land hard on the ground.

The familiar smell hits me before the sight does. The smell of burning bodies. The acrid smell of smoke. The stagnant air.

I look up.

A hellish world.

Buildings had collapsed. Streets had cracked and the asphalt had turned molten in places. There were no bodies, but the stench…was of burning flesh. Flames burned endlessly in search of fuel. Smoke billowed up into the sky.

 _Things lost will never return._

Looking up, I saw only the black smoke choking out the sky, the clouds tinged red. This scene would always haunt me. The fire where Shirou Emiya was born.

…Yet, somehow, the stillness was worse. No life could be seen for hundreds of yards among the burning rubble and embers. The city was nothing more than a burning wasteland. Above, thunder rumbled and red lightning flashed through the sky. That was not naturally caused.

"Tttch!" The sound of bone on bone.

What better to complete a hell than the undead? Was the world mocking me? Making me revisit the past, when nothing could be changed? When I wrestled with this repeating nightmare?

Skeletons were the most common foot soldiers for a necromancer. Rags that where once their former clothes, hung off them. All wore modern clothes. This is what the people who had died in the fire had been used for. I felt rage and horror mix in my stomach. I felt more sickened than angry or afraid.

"Come. I will lay you to rest." I say so, saying that it was the only thing I could do for them now. Still, I would always be haunted by the voices and pleas of the dead.

"Trace on."

I discard my jacket. Archer's longbow appears in my hands. I barely had to think for it to form. The group of skeletons comes forward. The clatter of bone on bone. I fire the hammer for my Mystic Code. The blue body armor I wore underneath my jacket was my own design and creation. I had borrowed Archer's outfit and changed the color scheme to blue and silver, instead of black. I had sewn runes into the cloth to store mana beforehand and reinforce the cloth without it disintegrating under the amount of magical energy.

I draw the bowstring back, my arm muscles bulging. An arrow with an explosive tip forms, already nocked. I could probably fire about forty arrows before I ran out of mana. Yet still, the speed and quality of the projection was faster than usual. There would be time to examine the changes in my Magecraft later.

"Senpai!" I heard Mash's voice cut in from behind me. It sounded stronger and with a confidence that I didn't know she possessed. I glanced over, while knocking another two arrows. Her clothing had been replaced by a skintight, black and dark purple armor.

Behind her was another horde of skeletons, wielding nameless lances, swords and bows. I let my arrows fly, the explosions from the magical energy surging through the arrowheads scattering the horde in front of me like so many leaves in the wind. I had bought myself a few seconds of breathing room.

Mash swung her overlarge shield like it was a twig in the breeze, cutting one of the approaching skeletons in half. She planted her shield into the ground, the sound of whizzing arrows approaching and clanged off her weapon.

Her shield was more an overlarge cross. It was a beautiful Noble Phantasm, masterfully crafted and flawless, but what it represented resonated in my soul. I shook myself out of my trance and parried away an attack from a skeleton with my bow. I swept it's feet out from under it and ran an arrow through the skull's eye socket.

"Master! Get behind me! Your safety is…" Mash trails off as the Married Blades form in my hands.

"Not necessary. Just watch my back." I stated calmly. These guys were more like cannon fodder compared to Servants and a Dead Apostle. "Overedge." Twin longswords appear in my hands. I throw one blade while keeping the other. I sidestep enemy attacks, parry aside spears and slice arrows from the air.

I throw one of my rune-shards into the air. Isa, the ice rune flashes with a cold white light. Ice forms over the skeletons and the temperature drops. As I smashed the last of them to pieces, I thought about what sort of unholy power could animate this many skeletons so easily. The sheer amount of them was something to be worried about.

"I had my worries, but we made it somehow." Mash takes a breath. "Master, where did you learn to fight like that?"

"I've…lived a rough life." I admitted, wondering how to explain myself. "I am a freelancer and I have been in my share of battles. Ignoring my past, what happened to you?" I asked.

Mash opens her mouth only to get cut off by an electronic beeping sound.

"Right, I finally got through! Hello? This is Chaldea Command Room, does anybody read me?" Dr. Roman's voice comes over the air. A hologram of Roman appears, lines of static appearing every now and then.

" _What the…"_

"This is Mash Kyrielight, a member of A Team. At this time, I've completed the shift to Singularity F. My sole companion is Shirou. Mind and body both intact. Rayshift Compatibility, Master compatibility both satisfactory. Please register Shirou as an official researcher." Mash reports to Roman.

" _Must be some sort of communication through the Rayshift system. Ingenious."_ I glance at my hand. A Command Spell had appeared on the back of my hand. It was different than Saber's. A more winged design, within a cup. The undeniable proof of a Master. I had missed the full explanation of this kind of Command Spell.

"So Shirou also got dragged into the Rayshift, huh? I'm impressed you didn't "lose your existence." I'm really glad. Mash, I'm glad you're safe, but…what's with that outfit?! It's shameless! I didn't raise you to dress like that!" Roman shouts.

"I transformed into this. I couldn't protect Senpai wearing Chaldea's uniform." Mash explains.

" _Transformed? I've heard of the Kaleidostick_ _from Rin, but this is something else."_

"Transformed? Did you hit your head or something?" Roman asks.

"Dr. Roman. Please be quiet. Please check my condition." Mash says.

"Your physical condition? Whoa, Whoa, WHOA! Physical strength, Magical circuits, everything's improved! You're not so much a human, but-" Roman's shock is interrupted by Mash.

"Yes, I'm a Servant. I don't remember how it happened, but it seems I survived by fusing with a Servant."

"How is that possible? The human body is not meant to handle that kind of magical energy." I asked. Tohsaka had warned me after projecting Caliburn. There was only so much magical energy the human body could take before severe side effects. Namely, death or leaving behind a smoking crater.

Roman's face fell. "Shirou, the fusing of a Heroic Spirit and a human was Chaldea's sixth experiment. The family head before the director took a few secrets with him to the grave." _"More secrets. If Mash really is a homunculus, then she probably has a few years left at most."_

Mash looks down. "M – Moving on, to investigate and resolve Singularity F, a servant was prepared in advance at Chaldea. This Servant lost its master in that explosion and was doomed to vanish. At the last second, he offered me a contract. I return for the abilities and Noble Phantasm of a Heroic Spirit, he wanted me to eliminate the cause of this Singularity."

Roman nods. "I see. Does this Heroic Spirit still have its consciousness?"

"…No, he gave me his combat abilities then vanished. He never revealed his True Name even at the end. All I know is my new physical ability."

"Galahad." I say on reflex. Mash turns towards me in surprise. "The Prefect Knight. Your shield is not truly a shield. It represents the Round Table, a place for heroes to gather."

Mash looked at her shield in awe and gratitude. I didn't know what was going through her head, but I knew that she would get through this.

"How do you know this?!" Roman shouted.

"I am a specialist in structural grasp, meaning I can see how an item was constructed. Even its history." Not a lie, but not the whole truth either. "Back to the issue at hand, we should get moving before more monsters show up."

Mash nodded. Roman's image was distorted by static. "It seems that Sheba's output is unstable because we switched to the backup generators. I'm getting a reading of a strong leyline reading about…" Static covered Roman's image and soon winked out. Of course, it chose at that time to disconnect.

"It can't be helped, we should get moving." I said.

"Right, you are so dependable, Senpai. I was actually terrified, so thank goodness." Mash smiled.

"Kyu. Fou, Fooou!" Fou hung around my feet.

"Huh?" I had just noticed him. Where had he disappeared off to?

"Apparently, Fou rayshifted with you, Senpai. I forgot to let the doctor know…" Mash trails off.

"Kyu. Fou, kyaao!" Fou settles onto my shoulder again.

"Don't worry about Roman. He'll be okay." I add.

"You're right. I'll find time to let him know about Fou later." Mash nods.

We began walking down the streets of Fuyuki. Past broken buildings and ruined streets. The red world seemed to have no end.

"Flames as far as the eye can see…" Mash mumbled. "This isn't supposed to be like this. There is no record of such a disaster occurring in 2004. The mana density is also abnormal. In fact, it's a lot like ancient earth…"

Mash is cut off by a scream. "KYAAAAAAAAAA!"

I bolt down the street. "Senpai!" Mash quickly catches up to me.

The director is surrounded by a group of brown robed ghosts, or what I assumed ghosts to look like when robed. "Why do these things always happen to me? I can't take it anymore! Come save me, Leff! You were always there for me right?"

"Director Olga Marie?" Mash pauses in shock.

"You two! What in the world is going on here?" Marie looks like she's seen a ghost.

"Mash, protect the Director!" My bow appears in my hands.

Mash charges forwards, shield in front. The small group of monster's parts like water. It was a small group, maybe ten or fifteen skeletons. I cover Mash from a distance, firing arrows. It was over quickly, the rags of the ghosts disappearing.

"Are you hurt, Director?" Mash asks.

"W - what's going on?" Marie asks.

"Director? About my situation. I know it's hard to believe –" Mash is cut off by the Director.

"A Demi – Servant right? It's obvious that you fused with a Servant. What I want to know is why it's successful now all of a sudden!" The director whirls to me. "You! The freelancer who showed up late to my speech! How did you become a Master? Only first-class Mages can enter contracts with Servants! What did you do to her to have her do your bidding?"

After such a sudden turn of events, getting sucked into _another_ Holy Grail War there was only so much I could take. I was already upset with this Singularity dropping me into a burning Fuyuki. "What makes you think I caused any of this!? I have experienced curses that would make Dead Apostles turn green with envy!"

Mash put a hand on my shoulder. "I think there has been a misunderstanding, Director. I'm actually the one who forced the contract."

"What did you say?" Marie asked, still in a huff.

"I'll explain how it happened. That way we can understand each other's situation better. Chaldea was sabotaged. Shirou and I were dragged into the rayshift and we were teleported to Fuyuki. No other candidates shifted with us. You're the only human we've run into, Director. If you are here, however, that means other candidates must have gotten teleported here." Mash explained.

"There aren't actually. That much I'm certain of. I hate to admit it, but I am certain why we were shifted to Fuyuki. All of us share one common fact. None of us where inside the Coffins. Though Rayshifting flesh and blood isn't likely to succeed, it's not impossible. Meanwhile, the coffins have security features. When the success rate is below ninety – five percent, the power is cut off. So they never actually Rayshifted. We are the only ones here." The Director answered.

"You can be reliable when you are calm, I see." Some people didn't handle stress well.

"Are you saying I'm not usually calm?" Marie had a cross look on her face. It was rather endearing, having seen it on Tohsaka's face a few times. "Whatever. I understand the situation now. Shirou, since it's an emergency I'll approve you and Kyrielight's contract. From here on out, you follow my commands. First, let's set up a base camp. Preferably at a leyline. Then we'll be able to contact Chaldea. So, in this town's case…"

Mash breaks off Marie's orders. "Actually Director, the leyline is at your feet."

"Oh r-right, I knew that, I knew that, of course!" Marie stammered. "Mash, place your shield on the ground. I am going to set up a summoning circle, with your Noble Phantasm as the catalyst."

I nodded in agreement. I had mixed feelings. There was only one Servant that I wanted. Fighting beside any other Servant would feel wrong. As Mash laid her shield down on the summoning circle, my eyes were temporarily blinded by a white flash.

When my vision came back, we were surrounded by glowing blue circuits in a patchwork. It looked like a full three hundred sixty-degree room, with the glowing white summoning circle as a floor.

"This looks like the summoning room at Chaldea." Mash states, gazing around at the circuits.

"The connections back! Good job, you secured the connection. Now we can communicate again, maybe even send rations…" Roman comes through crystal clear this time.

"Why are you running the show, Romani? What about Leff? Where's Leff? Put Leff on!" Marie demanded.

"Wahhhhhh!" Romani panicked. "D – Director, you're alive? And you're unharmed? What the..."

"What's that supposed to mean? Where's Leff? What's the head medic doing in charge?" Marie demanded.

"Don't ask me why. I'm fully aware that I'm not cut out for this job. But there is nobody else, Olga Marie. Currently, the surviving full-time staff of Chaldea is less than twenty people, including me. The reason I am in charge of operations is because there is no one ranked higher than me survived the explosion. Dr. Leff was supervising the Command Room. There's no way he could have survived that blast." Roman informed the Director.

" _Unless he detonated it himself."_ A dark thought flew into my mind.

"No way – Leff… No, forget that, wait…please wait." Marie's face had gone ashen white. Less than twenty survivors? What about the Master candidates…the coffins?" Marie asked.

"Forty-seven, all in critical condition and we're short on medical supplies. We might be able to save a few, but all of them might be…" Roman was cut off by Olga Marie.

"Think about reviving them later. Your top priority is to make sure they don't die!" Olga Marie ordered.

"I forgot the coffins had those functions! I'll get on it right away!" Roman bolted out of the sight of the screen.

"That surprises me. Cryopreservation without consent is a crime. Yet you made the decision right away. You put human lives ahead of your own reputation as the director." Mash smiled.

"Don't be stupid! As long as they're not dead, I can explain myself later – why else? Forty seven lives…There is no way I can carry that sort of burden!" Olga Mare retorted. Magus reasoning mixed with guilt. _"I sincerely hope Rin and Marie never meet. They would either be best friends or worst enemies."_

"Please don't die…If only Leff where here…" Olga mumbles to herself.

Roman came back on screen. "The cryopreservation worked perfectly. Yet Chaldea has lost eighty percent of its functionality. There is only so much that the remaining staff can do. I'm shifting available manpower to Rayshift repairs and maintaining Chaldea's and Sheba's current states. As soon as external communications are back up, we'll request supplies and start rebuilding Chaldea. Currently, the only available Master is Shirou."

Olga nodded in approval. "Romani Archaman. I don't like it, but until I return you are in charge of Chaldea. Make the Rayshift repairs your top priority. We'll be investigating this town. Singularity F."

"Director, you're not afraid to be at ground zero? Since when did you become so brave?" Roman stated in shock.

"Seriously, you don't know when to shut up." Olga glared at Roman. "I'd like nothing better than to go back now, but it's going to take time until you finish Rayshift repairs. This town only contains low-level monsters, with Mash as a Demi – Servant we'll be safe. Accident or not, we Animuspheres pride ourselves on doing our best in the situations we are given. I'll be looking into Singularity F with Shirou and Mash Kyrielight as investigators. That said, since my field staff is inexperienced, the extent of this mission will be to discover the cause of this anomaly. Analysis and eradication will have to wait until after Chaldea is restored, and I can send in a second team. You okay with that?" Marie asked.

" _With my luck, things are going to get worse."_ I thought. "Only discover it?" I asked.

"Best of luck to you. We can now communicate in short bursts, feel free to contact me in an emergency." Roman tried to offer support.

"Even if we did send an SOS, nobody would come to our rescue." Marie mumbled.

"Director?" Roman asked.

"Nothing, I'm cutting off the connection go do your job." Marie dismissed Roman.

" _I have a really bad feeling about this information she is leaving out."_

"Director, are you sure about this? There's also the option of waiting here for rescue." Mash put in.

"I can't afford to do that… After we return to Chaldea, who knows how long it will take to select the next team? A month won't be enough to gather personnel or funds. Do you know how much the Association will harass me in the meantime? Worst case, they'll blame me for mismanagement and I'll lose Chaldea to them. If that comes to pass, I'd be toast. I can't go back empty handed. I need something that will shut them up! You are both stuck with me, Shirou and Mash. Come on, let's explore this town. The cause of this twisted history must be here somewhere." Marie ordered

"Before we go out there we should be prepared and contract a Servant in case things go from bad to worse, as they usually do when I'm around." I requested.

Olga Marie huffed. "I guess being extra prepared wouldn't hurt… Very well."

The summoning circle glowed a brighter white, the air tingling with magical energy.

* * *

The lush green grasses go on forever. A sky of forget-me-not blue hangs overhead. Fluffy white clouds cross the sky. The fields appear to go on forever. Flowers dotted the rolling plains. A forest was on one horizon and crystal-clear waters ran in a small stream.

She had long ago stopped counting the days. Waiting for him to appear. A blue dress made of faerie silk fluttered around her. She had only seen a few of the inhabitants of this place, the Fae and a few times she saw a bright red dragon flying through the sky. Still, she was lonely.

"I love you."

Three simple words. Three words that made her feel complete.

She missed them, her friends. But even more so, Ilya, Rin, Sakura, and…Shirou. The flood of emotions that came with his name left her both confused and elated. Yet, it felt right.

Avalon, both her scabbard and a place. Day was spring's gentle sunshine and smells of summer. Night brought the autumn air and the stars of winter. Even Camelot paled in comparison. Most of her dreams involved a wasteland of swords under a twilight sky. Thousands of blades, unlimited blades acted like tombstones of the fallen. She wanted to reach the lone person standing in that wasteland. It was a sad dream, but she couldn't remember why. What was a dream and what was reality? Her surroundings changed from the lone journeys of a man to the untouched purity of Avalon. Was she asleep or awake? Everything felt real, yet it was an eternal dream.

This place was as much a heaven as it was a gilded cage. The rules from the Age of Gods still applied here. Even Scathach, technically in the same position as her had some contact with the outside world. This saved her from entering the throne of heroes. Merlin was locked up in that tower of his. At least he could view what was going on in the world outside of Avalon.

Merlin had called her wish foolish. If it meant that they had a chance of being together, then she was gladly the world's biggest fool. Even if she went mad from being alone, it would be worth waiting for him.

She sighed remembering that day on the hill. Just once, a part of her wanted to be selfish. The dream of the young girl she had once been. _"I want to see him."_

She felt it. The familiar call.

She almost spurned it.

Yet, it was not the voice she heard on the hill of Camlann.

She answered.

After a long sleep, she awakens.

* * *

As the white light dies down, a familiar figure emerges. A sight that I would not forget even if I fell into the pits of hell. Long, golden blonde hair tied back into a bun. A blue battle dress with silver armor. Eyes the color of bright emeralds.

"I ask of you, are you my…" She pauses. Shock is written across her face. "Shirou?"

I can only nod. This must have been one of Zelretch's changes.

There was no words to describe the tightening in my chest. I had not once stopped searching for her. For years, I had pursued my ideals in the memory of a woman who had walked a similar path. Not just for my ideals, but in _her_ memory.

"You've grown." Is all she says.

"It's been a long time, Saber." The only thing keeping me from embracing her is the fact that we have an audience and in a dangerous situation.

Marie coughed. "So, you two…know each other?"

"It's a long story." I reply.

"As joyful as it is to see you, Shirou, this is not a coincidence is it?" Saber asks.

I shake my head. "No, it is not. However, we need to get moving."

The image of the summoning chamber falls apart.

We are back in Fuyuki.

Saber gazes around at the devastation as we depart from the leyline. "Horrible. This flame won't stop burning for another ten to twenty years. The curse seeped into the very land itself. This place is no longer fit for human habitation."

There is a tense silence. "Before we continue the search, is there anything you would like to say to me, Shirou?" Olga Marie has a cross expression.

"Nothing in particular…"

"Senpai, it's probably about when you dozed off in the command room." Mash explained.

Now I remembered Olga Marie's speech. Family heritage and personal achievements meant nothing when humanity was at stake. In 2018, humanity abruptly vanished from Earth with no explanation except in the past. Chaldeas was a pseudo-planet, a copy of earth using magecraft theories.

"Got it." I nodded.

"You little…You look quiet, but you've got some nerve, don't you?" Marie gave me a cross look. "I'm ordering you to be my bodyguard. Work hard." Marie orders.

Saber is studying Mash. No emotion is showing on her face, but I can see the gears turning.

"So, you are a Demi-Servant?" Saber asks.

Mash nods. "My name is Mash Kyrielight. I fused with Galahad, though I don't know his Noble Phantasm."

"Galahad." Saber pauses, no doubt remembering one of her knights and Camelot. Saber nods to herself, coming to a decision. "We will cleanse this side of the city before going across the bridge. It will be good combat training for Mash."

We set off into the burning city. Shinto is in ruins. The Center Building still stands, acting like a burning torch for the heart of the city. We pass by the charred remains of Verde and the tea shop where Saber and I had our first date.

"You navigate these streets like you've lived here all your life, Shirou." Marie observed suddenly.

I sigh. "I was born here. I went to the local school and this fire…. brings back bad memories."

Marie is silent for a while. "I'm sure to see it like this isn't pleasant. I didn't mean to pry."

"Knowing that this isn't real…" I gesture around us. "Then this is nothing more than an anomaly we can fix. Once we do that, this will be nothing more than a bad dream."

"I didn't expect such a magus-like attitude from you, Shirou." Mash commented, a little wary.

"If this was all real…if these people had really suffered like this…I would've been furious. Even though that doesn't change how horrible all this is." I glance at Saber. She had been cutting down monster after monster with little effort, while she let Mash take the lead. Me and Olga had been providing fire support. Marie grumbling about my explosive arrows.

"What happened in this city exactly? What are your thoughts Director?" Mash asks.

"History must have been slightly disrupted. That's the only reason I can think of. According to Laplace's data, a Holy Grail War occurred here. Mages in Fuyuki City competed for the Grail and to activate it, summoned seven Heroic Spirits. The last Master and Servant standing gets the Grail. My father…I mean, the previous director used this data to build the summoning system. That's what makes up Chaldea's Heroic Spirit Summoning System, Fate. Our third invention after Laplace and Chaldeas."

"Third?" Mash asks. "Isn't that the Near – Future Observation Lens, Sheba?"

"That was created by Professor Lev. Well, I guess you can say we both worked on it. Anyway, this is where Servant's come from." Marie answered.

"Who won the Holy Grail War in the end?" Mash asked.

"An unknown Servant and my father, I mean the previous director." Olga answers.

" _That was a major difference in the timeline. Yet his wish was for prosperity, though there was always a catch that inflicted the most death the corruption could."_

Saber and I glance at each other.

"Yet this happening. This Singularity has to have a cause somewhere and once we discover or eliminate it, that will complete our mission. All of us will be able to return to the present." Marie speaks up.

I backtrack to the Fate system. "Hold on, how many Heroic Spirits were summoned at Chaldea?"

"According to the data, three where summoned, but I only know of two. The second fused with Mash and the third…well… she's the weirdo that lives in Chaldea, Leonardo da Vinci." Marie answered.

"There is a Servant living in Chaldea?" Saber and I ask at the same time.

"Yes." Marie answers. "Well, she's not technically a Servant. She's under a contract that is more of a disguise."

" _What did that mean?"_ I pondered to myself.

"What is the cause of this Singularity? What sort of power would it take to create one?" Mash asks.

"A Holy Grail War occurred here." I answered.

"How do you know that?" Marie asked. "Answer me!" She shook me for answers.

"Unhand my Master." Saber says frostily.

Marie lets go of my shirt.

"As I said, I lived here. However, in 2004 I was chosen to be a Master. However, me and Saber chose to destroy the Grail, because it was cursed with All the Worlds Evil. Look around us, does any of this look naturally caused?"

"You're from a different timeline, aren't you Shirou?" Marie grumbles.

"In a word, Kaleidoscope." I answer. Another name for Zelretch.

Marie nods, as if getting the whole picture. "Ah, I see." Mash winces as if she had seen a bad memory.

Saber looks confused.

"Another name for Zelretch, he's kind of like Merlin with his pranks." I explain.

She nods in understanding. "I see. One Merlin is troublesome enough."

As we tour this side of the bridge, Mash's skills on the battlefield increased at a rate that was nothing less than astonishing. She had learned how to use her Noble Phantasm's more esoteric abilities. I had seen arrows bounce off her skin like water against glass.

Saber gracefully cuts down any monster in her way. Without any strain on her part, unlike the last Grail War. She had been fighting for almost two hours right now, in full battledress.

During a lull between battles with monsters I ask a question that had been on my mind for a while. "How is your mana holding up, Saber?"

"It is definitely more improved than last time, Shirou." Saber answers.

"That's probably because of your contract. Chaldeas has a mana-generator system for the servants, yet the environment here could also be helping Saber." Marie explains.

"You guys need to move now!" Roman's voice interrupts. "There are two large magical signatures heading your way!"

"They found us." Saber answers.

"I found it. New prey. The Grail shall be mine!" A shadowy servant appears in the street of the city.

"Servant's signal confirmed, it's an Assassin class Servant!"

"Fight, you die. Run and you still die." Another shadowy Servant appears. I can't make out their features or identies due to the thick dark fog around them.

"Mash you fight Assassin. Saber handle the other one!" I order.

"R-Right!" Mash leaps to attack Assassin.

"N – No way, two Servants at the same time?" Marie has gone ghost white from shock.

The battle echoes around the streets of the city. I hear the echoing cry of monsters getting louder.

I shake Marie out of it. "Right now, we need to provide backup for Mash and Saber." I project my bow and let off three explosive arrows at the base of a nearby ruined building. Each shot blows away a critical support beam that causes the building to topple across the street, blocking one avenue of attack. I cover my mouth as the dust obscures everything.

The sparks and slashes of the battling Servants remind me of lightning. "You just leveled a building." Marie says crossly.

"Collapsed it right on top of the monsters, I think." I reply. "Any incoming enemies will need to go around or through that obstacle."

The shadowy assassin looks to be using his whole body to attack Mash, acting like a phantom. I see sparks fly from Saber's battle with Lancer. The battle style was completely different than Ireland's Child of Light. A cluster of weapons was on his back. Sword clashes against Naginata. Saber defeats the Shadow Servant easily. Assassin and Mash are still fighting. The skull face of assassin's mask conveys only death to his enemies. Daggers clang against Mash's shield. Assassin grunts as an attack finally connects.

"Curse you! With the Holy Grail before my eyes…" The assassin fades, returning to the Throne.

Mash is taking deep breaths. "All right, somehow, we won."

"I don't remember facing that kind of Servant before." Saber points out.

"If new Servants are showing up, then the war that took place here must be entirely different than the one we participated in. Besides that, those Shadow Servants seemed to possess no Noble Phantasms, just the skills of their counterparts."

"Every Grail War is different than the others. If any place would hold the answers it would be Ryuudou Temple." Saber answers.

"It's the keystone of this city as well." Roman's voice adds. "I am working on extending the range of Sheba, but the other side of the bridge is so dense I can't distinguish between enemies. You should expect to be attacked frequently."

"For that little display, I'm willing to give you the answers you need." A familiar voice comes in. "You can call me Caster this time. They really don't like me right now. Not like the enemy of the enemy is my friend, but for now you can trust me." Cu Chulainn appears, leaping from a nearby rooftop. His clothes where different than his Lancer form. More like a druids.

"Cú Chulainn, what is the meaning of this?" Saber demands.

"Wait, what? You look like Saber, but how did you…Ah, I see, you were summoned by that kid over there. This is going to be interesting." Cu Chulainn grins.

"Let me confirm something. You're a Servant from the Holy Grail War that occurred here and the sole survivor?" Marie asked.

"If by that you mean I haven't lost. Our Holy Grail War changed into something else entirely along the way. I don't know how it happened either. The city was engulfed in flames and all the humans disappeared. Only the Servants remained. Saber of this war was the first to resume the Holy Grail War. That chap began to rampage like a tiger released from a cage. Archer, Lancer, Rider, Berserker and Assassin were all defeated by Saber." Cu Chulainn answered.

"The survival of the Seven Servants…That rule of the Holy Grail War was broken here." Marie summed up.

"Yes. Any Servant that was defeated by Saber became like those two, corrupted by the black mud. They, and the monsters that sprang up like maggots, started looking for something together. The troublesome part is that I'm one of the things they are looking for. You see, the the Holy Grail War won't end until I'm killed or Saber is defeated." Cu Chulainn revealed. "Everything might return to normal after that."

" _A corrupted Artoria."_ I shivered at the thought of it. It sounded so utterly wrong.

"If I'd been summoned as Lancer, I could have finished off the black Saber with just one strike. Man, Caster is just not for me." Cu Chulainn complains.

Saber lowers her blade. "A temporary alliance then."

"Then that leaves one last thing, your goal. What you're looking for is probably the Greater Grail." Caster Cu answers.

"Greater Grail? I'm not familiar with that. What is it?" Roman's voice asks.

"The system that the Lesser Grail is linked to. A corrupted wish making machine. If the remaining master and servant wishes on it, the corruption will make it come true while causing the most death it can create. It literally holds all the sins of mankind. You don't want the corruption touching you. At least, that's all I know of it." I answer.

Caster makes a disgusted face. "I knew that thing was rotten to the core, but that is just pure evil. Saber is lingering around the Greater Grail. The remaining Servants she contaminated, too."

Olga Marie recovers from her shock. "Berserker, Archer and Rider are the ones left? What are those three like? Are they strong?"

"Well, Archer can be dealt with if I'm with you. Rider is posted on the bridge. Berserker is the real problem. Even Saber had trouble with that monster. He won't attack unless you get close to him, so ignoring him is one option." Caster answers.

"That's on the positive side." I answer. "Usually things go from bad to worse when I'm around. I have a few questions first. Does this Archer fight with twin blades, Rider with chains, Berserker with an axe sword, and a Golden Archer?"

"Yes, Yes, Yes, and No. Why?" Cu Chulainn answers.

I sigh. Just the thought of Gilgamesh made me want to stab something.

"This Grail War has some of the same Servants as the last one. I only know the identity of two of them, Medusa is Rider and Heracles is Berserker. At least they don't have their Noble Phantasms if they are Shadow Servants now."

Saber blushes, no doubt remembering the ruin.

Marie and Mash have gone ghost white.

"So you're a veteran of the Holy Grail War, huh? Things might not be impossible." Cu Chulainn grins.

"First, Mash should learn to use her Noble Phantasm before we resume the search. Going into battle against even a Shadow Servant can be deadly without one." I address one of the major issues on the list.

Caster nods. "A Servant and Noble Phantasm are the same thing. It's like instinct for a Servant. It's hard to use it if you think to much. Therefore you must first use up all your energy, young lady! I'm your next opponent. You don't have to hold back because we are allies. I'm not going to hold back when I kill your Master."

"What are you talking about? Are you crazy? What does Shirou have to do with any of this?" Marie protests.

Saber draws her invisible sword.

"A Servant's problems are the Master's problems. Didn't I mention you guys share the same fate? When your Servant can't stand anymore, it's your death." Cu Chulainn's druid staff is glowing.

"Master, please stand back!" Mash cries out.

"All right, let's have a real Servant battle." Cu Chulainn grins. Magic clashes against Mash's shield.

Saber stands next to me. "I will only get involved if Mash is defeated. This is good training for her." She reassures me.

My attention is fixed on the battle. They seem to be evenly matched, Mash turning aside Caster's attacks. Caster stayed just out of range of Mash's shield.

Mash is getting tired from all these back to back battles. "Burn to the ground with your Master! My spell is the coffin of flames, a giant of verdant thorn. Retribution, the forest that will purify human misery…Behold the Wicker Man! And behold, as both good and evil bite the dust!"

A giant construct erupts from the flames of Caster's spell. The heat is so intense, I can feel my eyes water.

Mash slams her shield against the ground. A massive shield of mana protects us from the flames. The golem, with a cage as a body slams against it, shattering into pieces.

Caster lets out a breath. "I knew you would survive that. But I never thought both you and your Master would come out without a scratch. That's definitely the Noble Phantasm of a first rate Heroic Spirit."

"Congratulations, Mash." I smile.

Saber sighs. "I was afraid I would have to use my sword for Mash to finally activate Galahad's Noble Phantasm."

" _An Anti-Fortress attack for training?!"_ I sweatdrop.

"Fou, Fouuuuuu!" Fou cheers.

"That was surprising. Mash was never someone with a strong will…" Roman's voice says.

"That's because you got her all wrong. You may call the young lady here, a protector. You must teach a bird how to fly high, after all. Though, she still didn't obtain its true name." Caster says.

Mash looks down. "It's like some pages of a book have been washed out. Even though I know the True Name of the Heroic Spirit…"

"That's fine. It's like my projection magecraft. If I even acknowledge the fact that it is a fake, it shatters instantly." I answer. "You should always picture yourself at your most powerful." I quote the Archer in red from the last Grail War.

"You didn't have the slightest desire to obtain a True Name. To become a Heroic Spirit. That's why your Noble Phantasm responded. Just like a fairy tale." Marie smiles.

"Director…" Mash blushes from the praise.

"However, it's inconvenient to use it without a True Name, right? I'll think up a good spell for you. Since it's a pseudo deployment of a Noble Phantasm…Let me see…Yes, let's call it Lord Chaldeas. Chaldea is a name that has meaning for you. So to activate your Spirit Origin, that's a good spell for you right?" Olga Marie says.

"Lord Chaldeas... Yes, I like it. That fits you perfectly, Mash!" Roman's voice says cheerfully.

"With that resolved, we should rest before continuing on. The rest of the campaign will be back to back battles once we cross the bridge. Fatigue is the enemy." Saber commands.

I nod. We should rest up while we can. "Agreed." Marie votes.

We take shelter in a ruin, using the remains for cover. Caster put up a bounded field to alert us of any enemies.

Roman managed to Rayshift some sleeping bags over and two tents. Saber makes eye contact with me, clearly saying that she wants to talk to me.

Away from the others, we manage to have some time to ourselves.

"How long has it been since the Holy Grail War, Shirou?" Saber asks.

"Thirteen years. The Grail system was dismantled in Fuyuki." I reveal.

Saber lets out a breath. "That…is good to hear, no more Grail Wars in Fuyuki. What happened to Rin, Taiga, Ilya and Sakura?"

"We…drifted apart in a way. Ilya passed away a few years ago, she was always so full of energy. Sakura graduated from high school. Rin became a mage in the Clock Tower and Taiga hasn't changed a bit. As for myself…I've become Rin's unofficial apprentice and sometimes I get contacted by Waver for small assignments. Mostly resolving fake Grail Wars and…looking for you. I've never stopped on that journey." I summarize.

Saber is silent for a while. "You…you were looking for me and gave up so much?"

I nod. "I don't believe it will be a mistake. If I can make more people smile than the ones that cry, then I am satisfied. I know that is hypocritical to want to save everyone, but I can't help but admire the beauty in that."

Saber embraces me. "Saber?" I ask. She had never been so forward before.

"C – Could you call me Artoria in private, Shirou?" She asks, whispering in my ear.

"Artoria." She holds me tighter, then pushes me away, blushing. A cloud of steam would probably be over her head. Her expression is so endearing, especially when she is embarrassed.

Saber is still holding my arms.

"You are probably going to be so reckless, Shirou. It is rather worrisome for me."

A golden glow appears in her outstretched hands, as she lets go of me. "Please accept this once again, Shirou. If, at any time, I can't protect you, then please accept this." Avalon, The Everdistant Utopia appears in her hands.

"Artoria, I ca'nt…"

Artoria interrupts me. "It would…make me happy, Shirou. Knowing you have it."

I couldn't argue with that. "All right, if it makes you happy."

Artoria is red to the tips of her ears.

She places her hand on my body, underneath my mystic code, right where my heart would be. There is no pain, just the sensation of Artoria's hand.

"Trace on." I whisper.

Instead of the burning sensation of separating it from me, I feel indescribable, joyful warmth. As if something that had long been parted from my soul was rejoining and were dancing at their reunion.

"I'm done, Shirou." I look at Saber. Her hands are empty, yet she is smiling so brilliantly, that I can't look at her directly or risk being blinded.

"Thank you, Artoria." I say it honestly.

Artoria blushes. "There is no need to thank me, Shirou. It is a Servant's duty to protect their Master."

Artoria makes a hasty retreat, red in the face.

I lay down on the sleeping bag, falling into slumber.

 **Glossary:**

 **Kanshou and Bakuya: The Married Blades. (C-) (Anti – Unit) (Anti - Monster) Crafted for the sake of crafting, as if questioning the meaning of the swordsmith. They were created without vanity and lack a sense of purpose. Containing no fighting spirit to defeat others nor a competitive spirit to beat other weapons, and they neither have the desire to be famous nor the faith to accomplish great deeds. When both are wielded, the wielder's Magic Resistance and physical resistance improve, and their rank as both weapons and Noble Phantasms increases.**

 **The original versions of the swords reached the realm of the Gods due to human sacrifice, the projected version also has a strong affinity against monsters.** **The main ability of the swords is their strong bond with each other, which not only allows them to attract each other, but it is also said they will return to their owner even if events cause them to be lost. If one is thrown while the other is held, the thrown sword will return to the wielder much like a boomerang.**

 **Kanshou and Bakuya (Overedge.) A reinforcement magecraft version of the Married Blades turning them into longswords.**

 **Unlimited Blade Works (Anti – Unit) (E – A++)**

 **A high-class thaumaturgy that embodies Shirou's internal world and imprints upon the World as a Bounded Field for a short amount of time. It is his true specialization of magecraft, the result of "Sword" being both Origin and Elemental Affinity, and the basis of his projection and reinforcement skills. It is the definite answer obtained by someone whose life was saved by a sword, actually merged and lived with a sword, and acted as a sword. Shirou Emiya has no penalties from the World while using Unlimited Blade Works.**

 **Isa: Rune of concentration of things in a static or frozen state. Rune of stillness and the Ego-Self.**

 **Artoria Pendragon (Saber Class)**

 **The Once and Future King of British legend. The King of Knights. Among the English, King Arthur is still a person of the present. A "future king who will be back." Due the uniqueness of the FATE summoning system, this allows the summons to reach her even in Avalon.**

 **Strength: B**

 **Endurance: A**

 **Agility: A**

 **Mana: A**

 **Luck: B**

 **(Class Skills)**

 **Magic Resistance: A**

 **Riding: A**

 **(Personal Skills)**

 **Charisma: B**

 **Instinct: A**

 **Mana Burst: A**

 **(Noble Phantasms)**

 **Avalon: All is A Distant Utopia (Barrier) EX**

 **The hallowed scabbard of Excalibur, the embodiment of the utopia King Arthur seeks. The holder of the scabbard is granted potent healing, allowing for critical and fatal wound to be rapidly repaired to restore the wielder's health. Minor injuries are restored easily, and even large missing portions of the body and destroyed vital organs like the heart can quickly be restored at the critical moment before death. Targeting anything other than the holder's head in order to destroy their brain is futile, requiring for a decisive strike to be landed in order to cause any true damage.**

 **Excalibur: Sword of Promised Victory (Anti – Fortress) A++**

 **The strongest and most majestic holy sword that symbolizes King Arthur. As that which can be called the physical actualization of her ideals and the symbol of her heroism, it is her greatest and most powerful Noble Phantasm.**

 **Invisible Air (Anti - Unit) C**

 **A sheath of wind that covers Excalibur and conceals it so that it cannot be easily recognized as the famous holy sword of King Arthur and expose her identity. It is a Bounded Field closer to magecraft than a Noble Phantasm that is made up of multiple layers of wind compressed into super-high pressure air with a massive amount of magical energy, which distorts the refraction of light and renders what is inside completely invisible.**

 **Mash (Demi – Servant)**

 **Strength: C**

 **Endurance: A**

 **Agility: D**

 **Mana: B**

 **Luck: C**

 **(Class Skills)**

 **Magic Resistance: A**

 **Riding: C**

 **Noble Phantasm**

 **Lord Camelot (Anti – Unit) D**

 **Cú Chulainn (Caster)**

 **Strength: E**

 **Endurance: D**

 **Agility: C**

 **Mana: B**

 **Luck: D**

 **(Class Skills)**

 **Territory Creation: B**

 **Divinity: B**

 **(Personal Skills)**

 **Rune Magic: A**

 **Protection from Arrows: A**

 **Disengage: C**

 **Noble Phantasm**

 **Wicker Man (Anti-Army) B**

 **When used, Caster summons a sacrifice-seeking flame giant. A giant composed by countless tree branches makes his appearance. Said giant wears flames on his body and applies intense heat and flame damage by rushing in on the target. This giant's torso is a cage, and it is primarily there to imprison a sacrifice. However, the storage of the cage on the giant's torso that appeared as a Noble Phantasm is empty, hence the giant rages while primarily seeking a sacrifice to make an offering to the gods.**

 **Shadow Servant: Weaker copies of Servants. They have all the same attacks, skills, and traits, but no Noble Phantasms.**


	3. The Weight of Ideals

This was not a dream. I didn't dream in all five senses. The clattering of weapons and the sounds of the forge. A sound I was all too familiar with. However, each and every blade is a Noble Phantasm. Each is a crystallization of a hero's myth. Each plants itself into Unlimited Blade Works, waiting to be unleashed.

The birth of the concept of a hero. The birth of a hero's item when it is given a name. The storage of its prototype. The identity of the weapon when it used to accomplish a great deed. Gilgamesh's numerous Noble Phantasms where all prototypes. Nameless. They were inferior compared to the ones that had achieved their peak condition.

There is no rule that says a copy can defeat the original. I had spent at least four to six hours training with my blades on a daily basis for the last thirteen years. Gilgamesh was an "owner" who admired his weapons hanging on the wall. My blades had "experience" and history to them.

When I woke up from the dream, we silently prepared for battle. I had a dull ache in my head, like someone had been rifling around in there. Roman had sent over some rations by Rayshift. Prepackaged food. Judging by the look on Saber's face as she ate, I would have to make up for it somehow with a full course meal later.

We broke camp and I say that very loosely. There was not even a tent. Talking would be a waste of energy. We stop at the foot of the bridge. I can almost feel the tension.

"I'm picking up the same two magical signatures as before. Two Shadow Servants are guarding the bridge." Roman's voice says. "It's Rider and Berserker."

"D – Do we even stand a chance?" Marie's face going as white as her hair.

"As a rule, only Servants can stand up to another Servant. Yet rules can be broken. A well laid plan can give you an edge. Saber and Mash will attack while Caster provides support. We will win and return to Chaldea." I encourage Marie and Mash.

A soft laugh echoes across the bridge. "I always did enjoy playing with the hero-types. So eager to make false promises. Fairytales do not exist. There are only the stories that are written by the victors."

Standing on the middle of the bridge, stood two figures of Greek Myth. Medusa, the Gorgon. Harpe, the weapon that Perseus used to kill the Gorgon, is in her hands. Her face is unnaturally pale and her dress is even more revealing than Rider's. I can see the sides of her stomach and thighs. The mass of muscle and rage beside her was no doubt Heracles. His black axe sword glinted cruelly. Chains where spread around the bridge like land mines. "Watch out for Rider's chains." I inform Mash.

"I will take care of those two, if you two can take care of _that."_ Caster Cu Chulainn pointed behind him. I heard the sound of clattering bones. Then a roar that sounded like a jet engine starting up. A large shape emerged behind the skeletons and sat on its haunches. It had the head and body of a lion, yet it had two extra heads. A goat emerging from its back and a snake spitting venom. When it roared, it revealed a fiery maw.

"A Chimera? What is a Phantasmal Beast doing in a modern city?" Olga asks in shock.

"One fight at a time." I say, focusing on the skeletons in front of us. The Chimera didn't seem particularly interested in us yet. Once we defeated the skeletons, that would change. Mages often kept other magecraft up their sleeves.

Archer was nowhere in sight. He would have shot at us long ago, if he had saw us.

"Trace on."

A bow appears in my hands.

The skeletons lumber forward. Four arrow appears in the string, already knocked. I turn the bow over. I feel the telltale signs of Gandr shots being prepared.

" _Alter. Transmute Rune."_

Raidho, the rune for the journey appears on the arrowhead. Wind covers the arrow, surrounding it like a miniature tornado. I release all four arrows and the battle begins.

My arrows tear through the front ranks of the skeletons like a hurricane, wind shearing paths of destruction through them, ripping them like paper. I hear the roar of Heracles and the impacts shaking the bridge to its foundations. This structure was not meant to take this kind of punishment.

I project Kanshou and Bakuya. "Overedge." I throw one blade and it scythes through the group, slicing some in half. Gandr shots blast holes in the enemy group. We had reduced the group by half from the first salvo. Light glows from Caster's staff. I feel slightly refreshed.

"Cover me, Director." I charge into the enemy ranks, taking advantage of the temporary gap in their defenses. I leap back and charge whenever a Gandr shot clears a hole in the enemy group. As long as the skeletons didn't have a chance to regather, we could use the momentary gap in their defenses to attack.

I hack skeletons apart, sending bones and weapons flying through the air. The Married blades are twin black and white blurs in my hands. I parry, sidestep and lunge inflicting as much damage as I can. Caster's support magic supplies us with stamina to keep fighting.

Chains shatter around the bridge as Caster's magic, keeps them pinned down. Cracks are forming in the asphalt. The roars of Heracles and the sounds of swords clashing tells me that Saber is alright. Marie stops her attack, panting heavily. Caster's runecraft couldn't restore someone if they burnt through their mana supply. I manage to scythe down the last skeleton.

The Chimera leaps from it' s place, roaring with a column of flame shooting from its mouth. Caster sidesteps the inferno. It burns through a few cables on the bridge. "Hey, watch it kid! I'm on your side for now!"

I roll aside as the Chimera lands where I had been standing moments before. This close, the heat that came off the Chimera was sweltering. I slice off its tail as it snaps at me. The goat's head bleats as the Chimera roars. _"If it can be hurt, it can be killed."_

I reinforce my legs and leap away as the Chimera swipes with one of its paws. The force alone of its paw passing is enough to send me flying back a few extra feet. I hit the guardrail hard. I force myself into a standing position.

I dissipate Kanshou and Bakuya. I project a simple spear. "Come on, furball!" I yell. The chimera whirls as I antagonize it. It leaps, roaring and I leap away as it buries its head in the guardrail of the bridge. I manage to stab it into the molten asphalt that the Chimera melted from its firebreath while it shakes itself free of the guardrail. The metal has turned molten in places, decorating it's fur in metallic sheen and the Chimera's eyes are literally on fire.

I bring my spear up, the tip doused in a puddle of cooling asphalt. It has the consistency of rubber. As it opens its mouth to swallow me whole, I hurl the spear with all my might. My aim was worthy of Lancer. It goes right down the beast's gullet. It eyes bug out as it hacks on the liquefying rubber. It stands on its hind legs, trying to flee from me. I project a simple chain and unbalance it. The Chimera topples onto its side shaking the bridge. I hurl Kanshou, turning it into dust.

I hear a bestial roar of agony from the Servant's battle. Saber has defeated her enemy by plunging Excalibur directly into his chest. Rider's chains that sprout from her hair clash against Mash's shield as she twirls like a gymnast, spiked daggers clanging against Mash's defense. Mash manages to defeat her enemy by twirling her shield like an oversize record. The long end strikes Medusa in the chin and Mash brings down the whole weight of her shield like a battering ram. I can hear bones break with a sound like gunfire.

They both fade away, retreating to the Throne. "All right, somehow we won. I was utterly terrified, but we won." Mash says.

"Shirou…managed…to….defeat…a Chimera." Marie says through breaths.

"Not bad for a mage." Caster grins.

Saber is resolute as always. "You did very well, Shirou." A clear enemy was still in front of us.

"I detect a lessened enemy presence then before. In fact, it looks like the dense readings from before have vanished to center around Mt. Miyama. I don't know if it's the equipment acting up, but something is definitely underground." Roman reports.

As soon as we crossed the bridge, it collapsed behind us. The wreckage breaking up the river. Massive property damage was part of the Holy Grail War. We continue on, Caster leading. At the base of the climb to the temple, Archer is waiting. Instead of being completely encased in shadow, Archer seemed to have started on the process. Thin lines of curse are running through his face like scars. Other than that, one could confuse us for brothers.

"This is a joke right? Except this joke is so sickening I'm not laughing." Archer says.

"Shirou….and Shirou? What in the world?" Marie mumbles. No idea how to describe the look on Mash's face.

"This is awkward." Caster says. "Even for me, this is new."

"Shirou…..Archer?" Saber is stunned. "You are so alike, but how…?"

"You may fight me if you wish, but will you be able to handle the fact that you have your Master's blood on your hands?" Saber and Mash pause at Archer's words.

"If you have started down the path, then I must do all in my power to kill Shirou Emiya."

Saber tightens her grip on her sword. "Why is killing Shirou so important to you?"

"Neither one of us can accept the other, it's as simple as that." Archer answers.

"You are both the same person, with the same ideals, how can you just reject yourself?" Saber demands.

"Saber, thank you. However, this is my fight." I put a hand on Saber's shoulder.

"Ah, then you know?" Archer asks.

I knew. Projecting Archer's blades had given brief glimpses into the history of the man who had wielded them.

"Yeah. I understand that you became a Counter Guardian. You cleaned up the mess of humanity. Killing one to save many. You did so, again and again. Unceasingly. Even though you met a hero's end once, you still have regrets." I step towards him, facing myself. One of the many paths my life could take. However small, the possibility was there.

"I see. I suppose it is only natural for you to deny me. As the ideal of Shirou Emiya, I am the only person you can never bring yourself to accept." Archer's swords appear.

"No. There is just one thing you have forgotten, Archer. I won't lose to myself. I will never forget that look on Kirisugu Emiya's face when he saved us that day. You've forgotten the beauty of it. I don't care if you call me a fraud or a hypocrite. I know it isn't a mistake!"

Archer blurs the space between us as Kanshou and Bakuya form in my hands. Our swords clang together and sparks fly. I parry aside three attacks that could've killed me. I reinforce my body to its limits. I redirect each attack aside. I don't care if it's borrowed knowledge and borrowed techniques.

At each clash of our blades, memories fly by in my mind's eye. Fields of death. A hanging. More killing. More fighting. Archer would be forced to continue fighting for eternity.

" _I don't pity him."_

I leap over his head and Archer blocks my strike from above I twist my body and slash at his back. Even that is blocked. "Really, in the back?" Archer quips.

I throw one of my blades and attack at the same time. Archer has to guard his back and front at the same time. Archer blocks, twisting his body to knock aside the thrown blade. Parrying the attack delivered at full force.

More memories go through my mind's eye. Weapons slam into the ground of a far off barren land. Each being added to my own Unlimited Blade Works.

"Overedge." Archer somersaults backwards. I parry his upward slashes with twin longswords.

"I've heard of magecraft that allows mastery of old skills. Your skills are improving, every time you and I clash swords." Archer speaks. I still have one last thing, I've never used it before due to how dangerous it is. I throw the hammer down on my magic circuits. I throw both blades, drawing a beautiful cross over Archer. He blocks it.

"Spirit and technique, flawless and firm."

"What?" Archer speaks.

The projection was all completed.

Using the image I've prepared, I create Kanshou and Bakuya anew.

"Our strength rips the mountains."

A surprise attack comes from an unexpected direction. Archer grunts blocking the attacks from both behind and in front.

"Our swords split the water."

Bakuya attacks from behind again.

I don't need to say that it's the one that was thrown and deflected.

Kanshou and Bakuya are twin blades.

They attract each other like magnets.

"Life approaches the imperial villa."

I create another pair of swords in my empty hands. I've broken Archer's defenses.

"The two of us cannot hold the heavens together."

The Married Blades turn into longswords in my hands, piercing Archer's chest like spears. I am breathing hard, my magic circuits screaming from the overuse. "It's my victory, Archer."

"Yes. I suppose it is. A victory you gained with your own two hands." Archer nods. The Archer in red vanishes into the mist. I feel so weak. Caster's staff glows.

"Geez, kid. It's amazing you aren't brain dead."

"I…I can keep going. I will see this through to the end." I stagger.

"Master." Mash speaks. "You shouldn't need to push yourself so hard."

"Noble Phantasm. Shirou has a damn Noble Phantasm." Marie grumbles.

"The kid here is nearly burnt out. He'll be out of commission for a while and we can't leave our Master behind." Caster speaks. My vision of Saber's concerned face is wavering in and out.

I'm lifted up and placed on Marie's shoulders. "Hey!" The director protests.

"You're the only one not carrying your own weight here." Caster says. Everything is going fuzzy, shapes blend into each other. I can only hear voices. "I mean you possess high quality magic circuits, yet you don't have the aptitude to be a Master. Is it a curse?"

"Oh, shut up!" I hear Marie retort.

I feel the dampness of a cave. Our steps echo. A massive amount of od. An air of birth, filled with vigor and the joy of life. I resist the urge to vomit. Something rotten is down here. I can no longer see through my fuzzy vision, only sense.

"This is a half natural, half man mad cave." Marie notes. I feel Marie's shoulders digging into my stomach.

"Doctor, are you checking vitals? Shirou looks paler than usual." Mash asks Roman, concern in her voice.

"Huh? Ah…Yeah. His vitals are all over the place. While he was fighting Archer, he activated all his magic circuits. He used up nearly all his magical energy, when the strangest thing happened. It's like someone hit the reboot button and refilled Shirou's reserves with mana. His body started to take in mana at an increased rate from the environment around him. The amount of stress on his magical circuits should've caused them to explode or burn his body away. Not to mention permanent brain damage at the very least. He'll be back to normal in about an hour." Roman informed.

"I'm also getting weird readings from inside the main cavern. I need to run system diagnostics." Roman's voice muttered.

"Senpai?" Mash asks. I hear the unasked question. _"Who are you? What are you?"_

"A function of a mystic code? Another Noble Phantasm? A skill leeching over?" Marie grumbles to herself.

I am placed down on the cave floor. Except my head is laying on something soft. My vision returns. I can see Saber's blushing face above me. She had taken off her armor, leaving her in just her dress. "I – I thought it would be better than the ground."

Caster chuckles. "Oh? You didn't have anything else in mind?"

Saber's face flushes completely red. "I need not explain myself to you, Lancer!"

"They…really do look like lovers." Mash says, while blushing.

"I refuse to ask about that." Marie complains. "By the way, Caster. Do you happen to know Saber's true name?"

"Yeah, I do. In fact, you should ask the Saber that is right next to you." Caster Cu smirks.

I can feel the tension. "Lancer." Saber growls lowly.

" _DANGER!"_ My senses scream.

"What?" Mash and Marie ask.

"My true name is Artoria Pendragon, King of Camelot." Saber reveals.

"King Arthur is…." Marie states in shock.

"Kingship is the domain of men. I could not protect the people with the body of a girl." Saber answers.

"If there is a corrupted version of myself, then I am oath bound to fight." I can feel Saber's resolution.

"Two Saber's fighting…Not even I am crazy enough to get in the middle of that." Caster says.

" _Two Sabers fighting…"_ Instantly, I see two dragons fighting each other in my mind's eye. Yikes.

"You will win, Saber. There can only be one King Arthur." I am still largely out of it.

"Ugh. EX rank cuteness, I'm going to be sick." Lancer complains.

"You guys need to get moving. I don't know what is in that cavern, but it's like a black hole in Sheba's measurements." Roman informs.

I stand up. "I can stand now. I'm ready."

"That's good to hear. People who can push ahead recklessly are the ones that get blessed by the stars." Lancer compliments.

After a few steps we enter a giant cavern. The surface reminds me of photos of the moon.

In the distance stands a monolithic black wall. There should be a giant crater in the cliff. Up there was the beginning and the end. The massive rock in the middle of the large magic circle, the Great Holy Grail, belches black fire from its mortar-shaped center. The embryonic movement of a black shadow. The light illuminating the cavern is a wave of magical energy.

"Angra Mainyu." The vortex of magical energy can be called infinite. However…at the base…is a black armored Saber.

My body cannot move. I'm entranced. My body will not function as a human as long as this scene is engraved into my eyes. I fear my death, yet grit my teeth in vexation.

It's different. She's a different person. I don't feel any nobility from her. Her face is still the same. Those golden eyes do not reveal anything, but plainly look down at us.

"It appears I have not yet rid myself of what I once was." That was definitely Saber's voice, it's colder than before.

"Be quiet! You are nothing more than an image of what I would've been like if I had traveled the wrong path." Saber's sword sheds her sheath of wind.

"How did you ever come up with such twisted logic? I am you and you are me. You were long prepared for such a thing after drawing Caliburn. A hero's duty is to be hated and ostracized. All of your ideals, all of your glory…They all vanished on that hill in Camlann. That is why you shall know eternal despair." Saber Alter reveals.

Of course, Saber would always have regrets of her reign. Doubts, inner conflicts, hatred towards herself and grief towards her surroundings. Saber Alter was all those emotions in high gear.

"Don't listen to her, Artoria." What can I say to reassure her that it wasn't a mistake? "You did the best you could. Even though it ended in tragedy, your reign and ideals had meaning. They were not meaningless. This is an enemy you can defeat. You've already defeated her."

Saber Alter's sword flares. "Useless words!" Her unhealthily pale face shows the beginnings of anger. "If you truly have faith in those words, then defend them with your sword!"

I let the firing hammers fall one by one. Steam is coming from my body. I focus on Artoria's draw of energy and strengthen it by adding my own. It's like a pseudo command spell. Saber's mana burst activates, surrounding her with crackling blue energy. Dark Saber's own Mana burst activates. A deep purple and angry red lightning flickering around compared to Artoria's blue.

The two leap at each other with killing intent. The blows are strong enough to produce gale force wind. Blue and black mixes together in a deadly dance. Saber Alter is definitely stronger, yet she has lost most of her agility in exchange for power. My eyes cannot keep up with the rate of blows that are being exchanged.

All I see is the blur of weapons and the sound of metal crashing on metal. An unearthly screech fills the air. The shadowy movement of Angra Mainyu twists and solidifies into something that resembles a giant. The sheer amount of magical energy was equal to a Servant's Noble Phantasm. Its size is comparable to Einzbern Castle.

"By the Light of Lugh!" That coming from the Child of Light was probably severe profanity for him. There are four of them. "I thought I would have nothing to do, but this a battle I'll have to take seriously!" A wolfish grin is on Caster's face.

" _If I had an Anti-Evil Noble Phantasm or a holy weapon, the reaction should cause the giant to fall apart with its curse neutralized. Yet my mana reserves are being used to strengthen Saber. I can't do both."_ I doubted I could even make an exploding arrow.

Mash and Caster dodge around the shadow giants, keeping their distance from the black mud. Caster's druid staff would qualify as a holy weapon in the druid view. The blasts of light from his staff created holes in the shadow giants, but the damage quickly repaired itself.

"Damn, that regenerative ability is a pain in the ass. Any ideas, Master?" Caster appears at my side.

"Use a command seal on Caster. The FATE command seals regenerate over a specific amount of time. Usually one per day." Olga Marie reveals.

"You do know how unbalanced that is, right? And why didn't you mention this before?!" I ask.

"You didn't ask about them. It's based off the Holy Grail War master – servant contract. Yet these command spells are weaker in authority and absolution than the ones in a Holy Grail War, a trade off for the regenerative ability." Marie explains.

"Lord Chaldeas!" Mash's Noble Phantasm activates. The shadow giants hammer away at it.

"Caster, use your Noble Phantasm." I order. A command seal vanishes from my hand.

"Burn them completely, giant of all trees. Wicker Man!" Caster's Noble Phantasm activates. We were a little too close for comfort. The heat was more like a slap. The flaming giant slams itself into the group of shadow giants and falls over in a tide of sacrificial flames. The shadow giants screech in rage. Parts of them are burning. They fall apart into burning sludge.

* * *

Her dark self exploded forward, a jet black comet. Bring Excalibur forward with the point, she turned her attack into a thrust going straight for her altered self's face. Her dark self had overextended her reach and was forced to take a shallow gash in her neck for her overconfidence.

Her altered self slammed her foot down and a wall of black miasma, swinging the blackened Excalibur with a mighty upwards uppercut. The wound on her neck was already closing.

Meeting the jet black Excalibur with her sword, she changed the direction of the attack ever so slightly that it missed her dress by mere centimeters. The black miasma around it was enough to rip the fabric.

 _Now_ she recognized that black miasma. "This dark miasma and oppressive weight! You seek to emulate the tyrant Vortigern?!"

"It is natural for me to bear this power, dragon incarnate abomination born of machinations that I am." Her blackened self seems to grin.

She couldn't believe her own ears. She couldn't believe the words that where coming out of _her_ own mouth!

From all the speed she could muster in her dash, this blackened King of Knights was like a tsunami. Her blackened self's power was almost unreal.

She jumped back four steps achieving with what Alter would need eight for.

"Invisible Air!"

The Hammer of the Wind King met with the Hammer of the Vile King. The attacks broke apart into gale force winds. Running in, it had achieved what she needed. Using both hands, she struck her blackened self , breaching the breastplate and drawing blood.

Her blackened self's sword flared, nearly impaling her with it's size. The only thing that saved her was taking two steps to the left, allowing her to stay close to her counterpart. The blackened knight was very powerful, almost like a Berserker in strength.

Blood was running down her side, but was closing slowly. It was a cursed wound and it cleared her mind as well. "You never did walk off that hill, did you? You never left behind that despair, regret and anger. You were blinded by it, until you forgot everything else!"

"Then let us see who is blinded, and by what, you _foolish child_!" A wave of dark miasma exploded from her blackened self.

"Yes, I will show you what you have forgotten. I will show you the pride of a knight!" Her own magic roared as loudly as her blackened self. "I will show you the oath of a king!" Excalibur glows brighter, her armor disappearing. "And I will show you the dream of the girl you've left behind!' An image flashes before her, of the simple girl she had once been. Of a time when she was called the Knight Princess.

The distance between them _blurred._ The opposing magics seemed to scream and screech. Releasing Invisible Air behind her, the dark knight was sent flying into the side of the cavern.

Sparks fly as Excalibur meets blackened Excalibur. Blackened Excalibur flares, acting like a shield against the storm of her attacks. It screams foreward and she blocks it with Excalibur, the force alone sends her a third of the way across the cavern, her armor skidding against the rocks. The Hammer of the Vile King screams against the blade of Excalibur. She deflects it off to the side.

* * *

I turn back to Artoria and Saber Alter's battle. Long trenches have been carved into the ground. Saber Alter's black sword is ablaze with a dark purplish aura. Her armor is cracked and is bleeding from one shoulder. The cut almost reached Saber Alter's chest.

Artoria is breathing hard. Her dress is in tatters and her armor has been shattered. She's bleeding from a cut that should've been fatal on a human. A gash on her lower stomach stains her blue and white battledress red.

"I grow tired of this foolishness." Saber Alter's aura concentrates around her sword. "Fall into despair. Hammer of the Vile King. Excalibur Morgan!"

"Yes. Let's put an end to this." Saber agrees. "The breath of the planet gathers. The torrent of life shines. Excalibur!"

Both Noble Phantasms are unleashed. Gold and blackish red smash together with the force of an artillery shell. The attack power behind them would stalemate. I knew that. Both swords were Excalibur. I walk toward Artoria as blackness rages. I am right behind her, putting myself directly in the path of Excalibur Morgan.

"Senpai!" Mash yells.

"Damn it, kid! What in the Land of Shadows are you doing?" Caster's voice yells in shock.

"Idiot, Idiot, Idiot!" Marie's voice is nearly drowned out by the roar of the clashing Excaliburs.

"Shirou, please retreat." I hear Artoria's voice.

"No. You should know that I'm stubborn." I answer as always.

I am so close to her. The wind coming from Excalibur Morgan is like a typhoon.

"Besides, you are my sword and I am your scabbard." I tell her as I lay my hands down on top of Artoria's. My skin begins to tinge red as I focus on the image in my head and in my soul. I don't need to project it. I channel Avalon's essence into Excalibur.

I can feel Artoria's heartbeat. The fairy letters on the blade start to glow white. Excalibur's light intensifies. A field of golden light obscures my vision.

"How? That's…" I hear Dark Saber's shock. The field of golden light vanishes. Saber Alter is lying on the ground. Wisps of dark motes surround her. Her feet vanish first. She is returning to the Throne of Heroes.

A long scar runs along the ground, cleaving it like a ravine. "No matter how my fate changes, it appears I will always meet the same end if I'm alone. However, know that Grand Order has just begun." Saber Alter closes her eyes. "T…the…dream…" She vanishes completely, returning to the Throne of Heroes. Perhaps I had been seeing things, but it seemed like her eyes had turned green before passing away.

"Hey, wait! What do you mean by…Oh crap, I'm being sent back as well it seems." Caster's body is disappearing as well. "Master, I leave the rest to you. If there's a next time, try to summon me as a Lancer! A support-role is just not for me!" Caster vanishes as well.

"Confirming both Saber and Cater have vanished. Does that mean we've won?" Roman asks.

I had never heard of a Grand Order before.

"Grand Order…How did that Servant know that name?" Marie asks herself.

"Is something wrong, Director?" I ask.

Marie looks like a deer caught in headlights. "O – Oh, right." Her face returns to normal. "Well done, Shirou, Mash and Artoria. Several points are unclear, but let's call this mission complete. First, we should retrieve the grail, it's the reason this place in history became abnormal."

I feel it before I see the cause. A sensation that makes my skin crawl. "Well, I didn't expect you to get this far. Beyond my plan's expectations and my own tolerances. Master Candidate number thirty-nine. It was my mistake to overlook you as an improbability."

Professor Leff is standing at the Grail Altar.

"Professor Leff?" Mash asks in shock.

"Professor Leff, you say? He's there?" Roman asks.

"Is that Roman I hear? So you survived as well." Leff is wearing an unnerving smile. "I told you to come to the command room immediately, but it seems you didn't listen. Honestly…trash who can't even follow orders. Just the mere sight of it makes me want to throw up. Why is it that humans always try to avoid their preordained destinies?"

My skin feels unclean just being in his presence.

"Who are you, fiend?" Saber demands.

"Leff! Leff! You're alive!" Marie begins running forward. I try to move forward to stop her, but something is keeping me in place, a kind of pressure.

'Thank goodness! Without you, I don't know how I could protect Chaldea!" Marie runs right up to him.

"Director, don't! That man is..." Mash protests to deaf ears. I tried to move, but the pressure is there, like invisible chains. Saber and Mash look to be in the same condition. I look down. We are standing in the magic circle of the Greater Grail, the markings and runes lit up red.

A binding spell so strong that it effected even Saber. Such magecraft could only come from the Age of Gods. The Greater Grail had been tampered with somehow.

"Hi, Olga. You seem well. Looks like you had a rough time, too." Leff greets Marie almost happily.

"The command room blew up, the city's in ruins and I can't return to Chaldea! I'm going crazy from all these unforeseen problems! But it's okay, as long as you're here we'll be fine, right? You'll help me this time too, won't you?" Marie asks Leff.

Leff smiles, showing pointed teeth. "Of course. Honestly, all these complications have bothered me and the biggest is you, Olga. I set the bomb right under your feet, yet you still live."

" _I hate it when I'm right."_

"W - What? …L – Leff, wh – what's that supposed to mean?" Marie asks in shock.

"You are already dead." Leff says with that unnerving smile. "Trismegistus thoughtfully transferred you into this land after you'd become residual thoughts. You had no aptitude for Rayshift while alive, right? You can't teleport while you have a physical body. Understand? You only gained the aptitude you so sought after you died. That's why you can't return to Chaldea. The moment you do, your consciousness will vanish."

"Wait…I can't return to Chaldea?" Marie is trembling worse than ever before.

"Indeed, but that's too sad of a story for you. Let me show you the fate of the Chaldea that you devoted your entire life to." Leff says. There was a _warp_ in space, revealing Chaldeas, now colored a bright red.

"Wh – What is that? It's a lie, right, an illusion." Marie stammers.

"It's real. I've connected the dimensions for you. Having the Holy Grail allows me to do so. Behold your folly!" Leff laughs. It's a high-pitched laugh, devoid of sanity. "Not a sliver of blue representing human survival remains. Nothing but a burning, bright red! That is the outcome of this mission. Isn't it wonderful, Marie? Once again, your incompetence has brought fourth tragedy!"

"Don't be absurd!" Marie yells. "I didn't fail! I'm not dead! Who are you? What have you done to my Chaldeas!" Marie demands.

"It isn't yours. Honestly…what an annoying girl you are!" A strong breeze envelops the Director. "I could kill you now, but there's no grace to that. I will grant you your final wish instead. Go ahead and lay hands on your treasure. Think of it as benevolence on my part." A silver of red appears in Leff's eyes.

"No, stop please! Chaldeas, a high-density body of data? A territory of dimensional anomaly?" Marie struggles against the invisible wind.

"Yes. No different from a black hole. Or perhaps a sun. Well, either way. A human touching it would be a hellish disintegration on the molecular level. An infinite living death!" Leff cackles.

"Someone help me! Help! I…I don't want to die! I've never been praised by anyone! Why…Why does this always happen to me!? No one ever valued me! Everyone hated me! I haven't even accomplished anything yet! I've never been accepted by anyone!" Marie disappears, disintegrating instantly. Not even ashes remain.

I clench my fists hard. "Shirou, stay back! That man is not human!" Saber manages to move, red sparks flying as she stands in front of me.

Leff is still wearing that unnerving smile. "Shall I reintroduce myself? My name is Leff Lainur Flauros, in charge of the year 2017 sent to dispose of you humans. Are you listening Dr. Romani? As a friend who studied magecraft with you, let me give you some final advice. Chaldea is finished. You humans have reached the moment of your destruction."

The terrible answer slaps me in the face. "The future didn't disappear. It was incinerated. The moment Chaldeas's was dyed crimson." I answer. My body goes numb. _"Taiga, Sakura, Rin, everyone…"_

Leff claps mockingly. "You see? Your end is certain! Chaldeas's magnetic field may be protecting Chaldea, but any outside of it will face the same fate as Fuyuki City."

"I see. We didn't lose contact with the outside world due to interference, we simply lost the outside world itself." Romani answers.

"You really are perceptive. A shame I didn't kill you immediately. But that too is futile resistance. If the time within Chaldea passes 2018 it will be wiped from this universe. No one can change the outcome now. This is a rejection of humanity by human history. You didn't perish because of your inability to evolve, nor did you perish due to war with foreign species. Rather, it was your own foolishness! Your incompetence! Because you lost the grace of our King! Like a bunch of worthless scrap paper, you'll be burned away without a trace!" Leff laughs, like he is having the time of his life.

The cavern rumbled.

"Ah, is this Singularity at it's limit? Cursed Saber. If you'd just obeyed you would have been allowed to live. Even when given the Holy Grail, she caused trouble by wanting to sustain this era. Farewell Romani, Mash, Saber, Canidate Number Thirty-Nine. Believe it or not, I have other things to do. My enjoyment of your destruction ends here. Now, be swallowed by the dimensional warp. But I'm not that evil, I'll allow you to say a final prayer." Leff vanishes along with the Greater Grail.

"The underground cavern's collapsing! No, the cavern wasn't stable in the first place! Doctor! Perform an emergency Rayshift! At any rate, we can at least save Senpai!" Mash yells. A rock the size of a house smashes down.

"Understood! I'm already doing it! But, it may collapse faster than I can fix it! If it does, then do what you can on your side! I mean, we can survive in space for a few dozen seconds, right?" Romani says positively.

"Shut up!" We all yell.

"Mash, use your Noble Phantasm to buy a few seconds!" I order.

"Lord Chaldeas!" A dome of mana covers us. The collapsing cavern collapses around us. I fall into darkness.

* * *

"All right, you're a good boy. Want something to eat? Nuts? Or maybe fish? Not sure if you are a cat or a squirrel. But that's okay, you are pretty cute!" A voice says.

"Fou…Kyu, kyu…" Fou chirps.

"Ah, the hero has awakened. Good Morning, Shirou." I awake to a brunette woman wearing Renaissance-style clothes and a staff topped with a crystal was beside her. Her left arm was a high-tech gauntlet.

"Who?" I asked.

"Hm, you're not thinking straight yet? This is the first time we've spoken directly like this. Are you shocked that you woke up to the sight of such a beauty? I understand, but I'm used to it. I'm Leonardo Da Vinci, a Chaldea collaborator. Or perhaps the third summoned Heroic Spirit. We'll talk later. Someone's waiting for you in the command room." Da Vici introduced herself.

I don't even question the fact that Da Vinci was actually a woman. Maybe the fame of the Mona Lisa influenced his/her summoning? My brain kind of expanded to accommodate the weirdness of the world of magecraft in the Clock Tower.

I got up, feeling refreshed. A warmth is on top of my hand. "Ah!" Saber reacts like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar, her hand darting away from mine.

"Artoria has rarely left your side." Da Vinci informs me with a smile.

"I suppose we should head to the command room and see how things stand." Saber stands up from the chair she had been using. Her wound has healed.

"Good morning, Senpai. I am glad to see that you are okay." Mash says as we enter the command room. The command room is in ruins, but most of the rubble has been moved away. The surviving staff of Chaldea was all gathered here. Only nineteen people.

"Good morning. Thank you, Mash." I greet.

Mash smiles. "I should be the one thanking you. I was able to stay conscious thanks to you." She is back in her regular clothes.

"I'm all for your reunion, but could you bring your attention here please?" Roman asks.

"First of all, congratulations on surviving and completing your mission, Shirou. Well done. You faced the challenges and overcame it. That earned my respect and appreciation. Thanks to you, Mash and Chaldea were saved. It's a shame about the director, but we've no time to hold a service. All we can do is grieve. We must defend humanity in the director's place. That's how we pay her tribute. From Chaldea's state, what Lev said was true. We can't contact the outside world. The staff who have left Chaldea haven't returned. I fear humanity has already been destroyed. Chaldea seems to be the only place outside of the normal timeline. Perhaps it's staying on the timeline right before the collapse. Think of it like a colony floating in space. The outside world is dead, until we do something about the situation. We tried scanning Earth with the resurrected Sheba. It's Earth of the past, not the future. The Fuyuki Singularity was destroyed thanks to you. But we hypothesize that the future was unchanged due to another cause. The result being….This distorted world map." Romani fills me in on what happened and points up at Chaldeas. It was now a glowing blue nebula.

"A newly discovered dimensional disturbance against which Fuyuki pales in comparison. They say changing the past, changes the future, but you can't overthrow the future by slightly altering the past. History has the power to heal itself. You might save a person or two…but the end of that era…will still end up with it's definitive result unchanged. But these singularities are different. These are humanity's turning points." Romani explains.

"What if this war didn't end? What if this naval voyage wasn't successful? What if this discovery was wrong? What if this nation couldn't become independent? The ultimate decision point to determine the current state of humanity. Destroying them is causing the foundation of human history to crumble. That's what these seven singularities are. The future had already been decided when these seven singularities formed. As Lev said, humanity doesn't make it to 2019. But we're different. Chaldea has yet to reach that future. Only we can fix this mistake. We must return the Singularities to normal. So here's the plan, Rayshift into these seven Singularities and get history back on track. It's the only way to save humanity. However, we are still powerless. All other master candidates are frozen. Mash and Artoria are the only Servants we have. You've been forced into this situation, but I'll still say it. Master Canidate number thirty-nine, Shirou. If you wish to save humanity, then you alone must go and face these seven singularities in human history. Can you shoulder the burden of Chaldea and humanity's future?" Romani asks.

"You don't have to ask. I'll lend a hand to protecting Chaldea and helping humanity to reach it's future. No matter what challenges may lie ahead." I say, full of resolution.

"With those words, our fate has been decided. We will now carry out the Preservation of Humanity as laid out by Olga Marie Animusphere, former director of Chaldea. Our objective is the protection and recovery of human history. Our search target will be each era's relic and Grail. Our opponent is history itself, many great Heroic Spirits and legends will stand against you. To save humanity we must defy human history. This is the only way to take back the future. No matter what end awaits us. To reflect our determination, we shall abandon the original mission name, First Order. This is now a Grand Order, the name of the magical world's highest order. We will take back the future." An applause breaks out at Romani's words.

A small smile is on Saber's face. No matter what challenges lay ahead we would pull through together, even though it was said to be impossible.

 **Saber Alter**

 **Strength: A+**

 **Endurance: A**

 **Agility: D**

 **Mana: A++**

 **Luck: C**

 **(Class Skills)**

 **Magic Resistance: B**

 **(Personal Skills)**

 **Charisma: E**

 **Instinct: B**

 **Mana Burst: A**

 **Excalibur Morgan: Sword of Promised Victory (Anti – Fortress) A++**

 **The form Excalibur takes after being corrupted by evil. Just as the fairies of the Lake, Vivian and Morgana, can coexist as polar opposites embodying good and evil, Excalibur can also hold a dual existence of good and evil. Due to its nature as a "sword that amplifies", it is blackened when Saber is blackened by Angra Mainyu, reflecting her inner feelings and corrupted nature as "Saber Alter". The blackened magical energy is the primeval curse that lurks in the British Isles.**

 **Triple - Linked Crane Wings (Anti – Unit) C**

 **An "exquisite technique", the culmination of long years of fighting with swords and the "true meaning behind Kanshou and Bakuya." It is said to be a "fatal attack", relying on the married swords' attraction to one another, consecutive projections, and keeping the basic technique, symbolized by the chanted poem. The user projects three sets of Kanshou and Bakuya, executing an unavoidable combination through throwing and slashing maneuvers. Each blade is lethal and the multiple attacks are meant to prohibit escape or defense. The only ways to defeat it are with an omni-directional defense, or by ignoring the damage to make a suicidal assault on the user.**

 **Avalon (Mana Regeneration)**

 **Being connected to both Avalon and Artoria, the scabbard of Excalibur in the Master's possession is capable of rapid magical energy restoration in environments that are saturated with mana. Effects on the body include dizziness, fainting, nerve damage and at worst, disintegration when the magus overreaches himself in the amount of magical energy running through the magical circuits.**

 **Shadow Giant**

 **Familiars made out of the Hollow element. Augmented by Angra Mainyu and the Holy Grail, their size increases vastly and they start acting as a materialized curse. Each are called a match for the Noble Phantasms of Servants. Carrying the properties of All the World's Evil, fighting them would normally require something to dispel a curse, but a level of energy equal to that making up the shadows can eliminate them.**


End file.
